Shattered Soul
by Blighted Angel
Summary: After an intense training session with Vegeta, fourteen year old Trunks decides he's had enough of his father's harsh criticism and cold disposition, so he sets out to teach him a lesson. But will his own ambition be his downfall?
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note: **_First of all, I don't own Dragonball Z, the characters in it, or any other products or things that have been previously copyrighted that might be mentioned in here. This story and the computer I'm typing it on belong to me but sadly, that's all. I'm sure nobody really cares, but the story also contains some swearing. Not that that's any surprise to you… There are some minor spoilers later on too, so if there's anyone out there who actually hasn't seen it yet, be warned. I think that's about it so, on with the story!

**4/28/10: **I am going to be editing each chapter from here on in, though I should be done soon enough. Don't worry, the story isn't changing. I am just correcting mistakes in grammar and modifying the sentence structure in some places to help it flow better.

**Chapter 1**

"Trunks!" Her scream echoed in his ears, sounding so far off, yet urging him to come awake from what must have been the deepest sleep of his life. _So tired… _Was that his mother? He thought so, but it was hard to focus.

"Trunks, get up!" He heard Bulma say again, this time from the doorway, as he moaned and buried his head farther under his pillow. Not that it deterred his her at all. Without delay, she sat on the edge of his bed and promptly snatched it off of his head, standing up to open the curtains as she did so. He groaned and shielded his eyes, opening one of them to glare up at her.

"Mom, come on, it's summer time. I don't have to be up this early," he croaked, his mouth as dry as the desert he and Goten use to play in.

"Don't you remember what day it is? Your father isn't going to wait for you forever," she said, tenderly brushing strands of lavender hair out of his eyes.

"Oh yeah…" Today was the day he was going with his father to train in the empty plains, which were about a half-hour flight from West city. That way they could spar and practice techniques without having to worry about destroying the gravity chamber. _Of course he couldn't have let me sleep anytime past seven in the morning…_he grumbled to himself after glancing at the clock. Kami knew Vegeta wasn't the most patient man in the universe. Nevertheless, he was looking forward to it. Maybe he could convince his dad to teach him the galick gun this time.

"Come on down for breakfast when you're ready sweetie." Trunks rolled his eyes, still not very happy about being woken up at the crack of dawn. "I'm making cinnamon rolls," Bulma revealed with a slight smile, broadening all the more when her son's face lit up at the mention of his favorite breakfast food.

"All right. Just give me about twenty minutes. I wanna take a shower," Trunks replied, stifling a yawn in the process.

"I'll keep _his highness _occupied," Bulma said, putting as much sarcasm into the word highness as was humanly possible. She walked toward the door, tossing a smile over her shoulder as she shut it behind her.

Trunks threw off his covers and stumbled out of bed, trying very hard not to think about exactly what she meant by "I'll keep him occupied." That probably wasn't even what she meant, but what the hell. He was a teenager. He couldn't help it if his mind automatically went in that direction, even if it was about his parents. Shuddering at the thought, he walked toward the bathroom that was connected to his room.

He was just bending down to grab some clothes out of his dresser drawer when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him like a tidal wave, forcing him to grab onto the top of the dresser to keep his knees from buckling. For a moment he just stood there, breathing deeply and waiting for it to pass. When it did after about ten seconds, he stayed riveted to that place, not moving, dumbstruck.

_What the hell? What was that about? I hope I'm not sick or something…_If he was, and his mother found out, she wouldn't let him out of the house for weeks. Going with his dad would be out of the question. His head hurt a little and his stomach felt kind of funny, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He had to be careful of sicknesses though, because he tended to get abnormally high fevers. Once when he was only five years old, he was deathly sick and bedridden for weeks because of a case of the flu gone horribly wrong. He'd somehow managed to hide it from his mother for almost a week and nearly died as a result. It had freaked everyone out, even his father, though he would probably never admit it. He remembered his mother telling him that it had been an unusually strong strain of the flu too, and it had completely messed up his system for awhile. Even now, he was a little more susceptible to illnesses because of that. Ever since, if he let something go for to long, the results were never good. He didn't get sick all that often, but when he did, it was usually marginally more severe than it normally would have been.

But he would only be gone for a few days, certainly not enough to kill him, even if he did turn out to be sick. He didn't think it was any big deal, and besides, he wouldn't miss this for the world. Training out in the field with Vegeta contained some of the best times he'd ever had with his father, even though he often gained more insult than praise. It was one on one, just the two of them. No mom to interrupt just when things were getting serious. He could take some Tylenol or something and he'd be fine.

Trunks walked into the bathroom and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it, letting the steamy wet droplets drum into his finely toned and muscled body. He rolled his neck on his shoulders, doing his best to loosen the tense muscles. After turning the water off he stepped out of the shower, grabbing his towel off the rack and drying himself as he snatched his boxers and a pair of jeans he'd brought with him. Pulling them on, he looked up in the mirror in front of him, marveling at, as he often did, the obvious combination of both parents that he saw in himself. A pair of cerulean eyes just like his mother's stared back at him, set in a face virtually identical to that of the Prince of Saiyans. He did his best imitation of a Vegeta smirk just for kicks, then, shaking his head at his own stupidity, plucked a white tank top off of the counter and pulled it over his head, wondering why people were so fond of calling them wifebeaters. After all, why would you want a title like that? He knew it wasn't literal, but still, it was stupid.

His throbbing head reminded him that he might be sick, and he opened up the medicine cabinet to pop some Tylenol into his mouth. Capping the bottle, he shrugged his shoulders, put the whole thing in his pocket, and shut the cabinet. Better safe than sorry, right? He might as well bring them along in case he needed them, even if this turned out to be nothing.

He was going to ask Vegeta to give it everything he had like he'd done the year before, without holding back the way he usually did. Not only that, but Trunks was going to win this time. He'd make Vegeta proud of him, and he'd finally hear the words he wanted, no, _needed _to hear. He was going to get that much from his father if it killed him.

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"Come on Trunks, focus!" Vegeta shouted to his son, who was a few feet away shooting ki blasts at distant trees and other targets to see if he could incinerate them in one shot. He'd misses at least half a dozen out of the six dozen he'd gone for. Granted, they were so far away they could hardly be seen, but his aim was usually right on for every one regardless of how far away they were. Ever since they'd arrived at their usual training site yesterday, his son had seemed a bit preoccupied at times, sometimes even spacing out in the middle of a sparring session. Vegeta had ended up unexpectedly hitting him head on, and the force of the blow nearly snapped the boy's neck. _I suppose lecturing him on the importance of focus in a battle didn't help matters. All it did was piss him off and earn me a lecture on how annoying it is to repeat the same lecture over and over again. _Vegeta looked back at Trunks, who was still missing about one for every ten he shot at, and he was getting especially agitated now, Vegeta realized. His faced was flushed, sweat dripping off the fine Saiyan features of his face. He snarled and scowled at the targets that eluded him as if his life depended on destroying them. _Perhaps some motivation is in order; _Vegeta smirked as he thought to himself.

"What's the matter, boy? Are you a Prince or a Princess? A true Saiyan misses no target that is set before him!" Vegeta screamed to Trunks, using the cruelest sounding voice he could muster. Trunks stopped and glared over at his father, looking as if he wanted to call him every vile name in existence. "Who are you boy!? Tell me! Scream it to the skies!" Vegeta bellowed in a powerful, captivating voice, commanding and almost regal.

"I am the Prince of all Saiyans!" Trunks shouted in an equally clamorous tone, fire in his eyes.

"Are you now? Show me then, _Prince_. Show me what a Saiyan elite is made of! Are you so weak as to think you can defeat me!?" Vegeta sighed inwardly. The truth was, he didn't enjoy criticizing his son as much as he led people to believe. There had been a time when he took delight in the pain of others, even that of his son from the future. He forced himself to stop thinking about it. No use getting distracted now. Self-loathing would have to wait.

Trunks's glare intensified, and Vegeta thought that if looks could kill, the one his son now gave him would cripple him for the rest of his life. When he spoke his voice was low, and eerily calm. "No, Vegeta. I don't think I can defeat you. I _know_ I can." His eyes burned with resolve despite his quite apparent fatigue, which seemed unusual to the Saiyan Prince, knowing his son. Trunks was usually a power plant when it came to energy, and he seemed to be tiring sooner than usual. For the first time since they'd been out there, Vegeta wondered if there was anything wrong with him, but he dismissed it almost immediately. _Surely he wouldn't risk his health_ _so much just to get a chance to defeat me._ He obviously wanted a fight. A real one, with neither holding anything back.

"Very well then. Get started." Vegeta stepped back, signaling that he should power up now. Nodding, Trunks smiled, something akin to gratitude written on his face, silently thanked him for the chance to prove himself. Gliding backward, he got into position, lavender locks of hair flying up around his face as they changed to a brilliant gold, his violent screams echoing across the vast, green, land. His power level was through the roof, and still climbing. The power flowing out of the teenaged boy momentarily surprised Vegeta. Even though he'd always known his son would one day surpass him, he hadn't expected him to come this close so soon. If the boy played his cards right, he might even best him.

In the distance, Trunks stood stark still, yellow sparks of lightning surrounding his powered-up form. The blue green eyes of a Super Saiyan replaced his mother's bright cerulean ones and his facial features were more sharply chiseled than ever before. An almost immeasurable amount of power was added on to what was already a substantial amount even before the breathtaking transformation. However, his face had taken on a sort of red tint, and he was breathing more heavily than he should be, especially since the battle hadn't even started yet. _That certainly isn't normal,_ Vegeta thought with a bit of concern. He'd stopped trying to ignore his natural parental instincts years ago, since it never shut up no matter how hard he tried. That was when he'd been forced to acknowledge that he actually did care, whether he liked it or not. Now he wasn't sure if this was a great idea. Even so, he completed the transformation much like Trunks had, except he was able to reach Super Saiyan two.

Trunks must have noticed the hesitation on his face because his eyes narrowed a little. "You can't back out now! What's wrong, Dad? Are you afraid of what I could do to you? Of being humiliated by your own son?" He smirked, a pretty good imitation of his own trademark smirk, Vegeta had to admit. _I'm afraid it's the exact opposite my son. I might really end up hurting you._

"I think I should be asking you that question. What's the matter with you?" asked Vegeta, not unkindly. Trunks's eyes widened, and he didn't even attempt to hide his surprise, momentarily wincing when he realized he'd just given it away. Vegeta smiled sadly. "I may not be the world's best father, but I'm not stupid. Even I can tell when something is not right with my own child."

Trunks looked down at the ground and scoffed his boot against the dirt, avoiding Vegeta's piercing gaze. "It's nothing, really. I can handle it." He muttered in a dejected voice, sounding like a child who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I'll be just fine until we get home. Please just let me fight you! Please!" He begged him, desperation that Vegeta didn't understand thick in his tone. He thought back to the horrifying incident when Trunks was only a small boy, blood boiling in response. He never wanted to see his son suffer so ever again. Just thinking about it made him want to strangle the boy himself. _How could he be so stupid?_ Vegeta felt his temper boil underneath the surface, threatening to burst at any second, and he found that he couldn't hold back the words.

"You fool!" Vegeta exploded, screaming at his visibly blanching son with a force that even he didn't exhibit often. "Don't you understand what it means for you to be ill? Do you recall what happened the last time you let a serious sickness go!? What the hell is the matter with you, you stupid little prick!? Is your brain on vacation? Or did you borrow Kakarot's for awhile, just to see what being a complete moron is like?!" Vegeta screamed even louder, if that was at all possible. He was so angry and concerned it just exploded out of him before he had the chance to do anything about it. Trunks, unfortunately, didn't see it that way, or so it seemed to Vegeta, judging from his expression.

For a split second Trunks looked hurt, as if the comments had greatly stung him, but he quickly locked it away, putting on a mask of anger in its place. He growled low in his throat, almost sounding like a wild animal, then, without warning, he lunged at Vegeta, throwing punches so rapid you could scarcely see his fists. Vegeta had no choice but to fight back, blocking every punch he dished out before they could land. _I must stop this before he goes too far and hurts himself. Trunks, you fool…what the hell are you thinking?_

Trunks's frenzy continued, fists flying repeatedly past Vegeta's face as he tried with all his might to strike the Saiyan prince. Eventually he succeeded, sending him flying into the rugged landscape bellow. Trunks hovered a few feet off the ground, blue-green gaze piercing into Vegeta as he picked himself up off the ground. "That's right, get up! Fight me like you mean it instead of just dodging everything like an evasive coward!"

Vegeta gazed at Trunks, serene expression only serving to further agitate the teenaged prince that hovered above. "Stop this now, Trunks. Don't make me hurt you."

His son snorted with amusement. "Even someone like you wouldn't deliberately hurt your own flesh and blood."

_Someone like me? I'm not that bad am I…?_ "And just what the hell is that suppose to mean you pint-sized jackass?" he replied, unknowingly making matters progressively worse.

Trunks's face grew even redder with rage. "Oh, you're one to talk about size, Mr. I-can't-even-see-over-Goku's-head! How tall are you anyway, five feet at the max!?"

"What did you say!? No one talks to _me_ like that! Not even you, _my son_. Come kneel before me, and say that!" Vegeta screamed in outrage.

"Why, so we can see eye to eye?"

Vegeta growled, animal instincts threatening to take over. "How dare you, you spoiled little brat! I am your superior as well as your father, and you have no right at all to speak that way to your lord!"

"Well, technically you aren't any higher in standing than I am, since you never had an official coronation. That's what you said, right, _my lord_?" Trunks said, uttering the last bit in the most insulting tone he could.

"That makes no difference to you! I am your father, you will do as I say, and I'm telling you to get down here right now before you make even more of a fool of yourself and get killed because of your idiotic, reckless actions!" Vegeta thundered, almost wanting to shoot him out of the sky himself.

"You say that as if you actually care, you immoral bastard! You don't give a damn about me and you never have! Stop pretending! I can't take it anymore…" Trunks shouted, anger and sadness coloring his tone. " Just when I start to think maybe I have a place in that black hole you call heart, you turn around and do something that suggests the exact opposite. I hate it!" His voice shook, and his eyes were deep pools of pain.

Vegeta stood, baffled and, hurt, he grudgingly admitted to himself. If that was what he thought, so be it. Without another thought, he transported effortlessly behind his son, catching him by surprise and hitting him near the pressure point in his neck, enough to send him spiraling toward the ground but not enough to knock him out, though he lost his transformation. Vegeta flew down after him and caught him by the scruff of the neck, gently lowering him to the ground. Trunks scrambled off of the ground and rubbed his raw neck, looking at Vegeta with wide, confused eyes.

"W-What are you doing?" Trunks asked, disappointment and confusion reflected in his every feature.

Vegeta spoke in a calm and detached voice, betraying none of the emotional turmoil inside of him. He planned to send the boy home in a way he wouldn't be able to refuse. The only way Vegeta knew how to get his son the help he needed. "You are ill. You will go home and the woman will take you to a physician immediately. Do not come back, and don't argue with me. You're a disgrace to yourself and to me. I don't need you getting in my way." Trunks jerked back, as if he'd been physically slapped. He stared with shock at the man he'd admired all his life, tears rimming his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hold them back, and Vegeta forced himself not to look away, becoming more and more disgusted with himself by the second.

"Fine. I'll go home." Trunks muttered, lowering his gaze to the ground. He looked and sounding so broken, it wrenched Vegeta's heart. Without another word, or even another glance Vegeta's way, Trunks soared into the sky and never looked back. He watched him go, torn. Every fiber of his being screamed to go after him, but he knew that wasn't possible. He had to be sure his own mistakes wouldn't be repeated by the boy, and the only way to do that was to betray no weaknesses to his vulnerable teenaged son. _No one can know how weak I truly am. If he doesn't know my weaknesses, he will not develop them himself. It is all I can give him. _Though he still could still do nothing to quiet his own doubt of its truth.

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Trunks flew blindly through the darkening sky to West City, tears streaming down his cheeks and blurring his vision so much he had to stop for a minute to calm down for fear of crashing into something. A sob escaped his lips as he thought about the words he'd just heard, cold and disconnected, sending him into a downward spiral to oblivion. _And I thought he loved me…Maybe I am a fool._ But he'd been so sure! When his dad had actually expressed some concern for him, he'd thought maybe Vegeta really did love him, and look at him with pride. Once he'd even held him tight and told him he was proud, just before sacrificing himself to save the Earth and kill Majin Buu.

Wiping the tears off his cheeks, he stayed suspended in the air, immersing himself deep in his thoughts. _I know it's there…it has to be. He just needs some help recognizing it. _He was still hurt, and unbelievable pissed, but he supposed he really couldn't blame Vegeta. After all he'd been through in his childhood, no wonder he was the way he was. _He must have been so lonely…A childhood that shattered his soul…_Trunks didn't want that to be him, but he could feel his sorrow crushing him, threatening to rip him apart at the seams. It was ironic really, but he and his father were one and the same in that respect.

All of a sudden it came to him, so stupid and reckless, he thought it just might work, and he smiled in delight and anticipation.

_I said I'd go home. I didn't say anything about staying there._

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I'm finally finished with the first chapter, yes! Please review, feedback is important motivation for us authors, as you probably know. Thanks in advance, everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was twilight in West City; billions of sparkling points of light smothered the darkly blanketed sky, twinkling brightly as if to wink down at the young Demi-Saiyan who stood below watching them. They were a little harder to see in the city, but they were beautiful, nevertheless.

Trunks sighed softly and resumed walking up the pathway to Capsule Corp., making no effort to be quiet since no one was home. His mother was at some sort of business convention until tomorrow morning, and his father wasn't set to return for another three days. By the time they figured out he was gone he'd be holed up in some isolated place halfway across the world. _Mom will think I'm with dad, and he'll think I'm with her. It's perfect._ Trunks thought with a mischievous grin. Though he did feel guilty for having to make his mother worry too, it was the only way to finally get his point across to Vegeta. _I'll stay gone for so long, even he'll start to worry. _

Trunks slipped the extra key from under the mailbox lid, putting it into the lock and turning it. He opened the door and slipped inside, flipping a light switch so he wouldn't trip. He felt weak enough as it was without having to navigate in the dark. Though he never liked being sick, it was even better for his plan. His Dad knew he was sick, and if he had any conscience at all it would make him worry even more. All he had to do was find a good place to hole up in, then go see a doctor and get the medicine he would need, and he'd be as comfortable as ever.

_As long as I don't use any ki and I hide my power level, they'll never find me. _He briefly considered telling Goten, but dropped that idea immediately. He loved his friend like a brother, but, he knew better than anyone that Goten couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it. He'd be lucky to get out of West City without being stopped by the Z fighters.

He trudged up the stairs toward his room, wishing he had a sensu bean to restore his energy. Suddenly, he smiled, remembering the ones his father kept just incase the need arose. Changing direction, he walked toward the other end of the hall and into the room his father and mother shared, quickly digging through the night stand on his father's side until he found three beans neatly wrapped in pieces of tissue paper. He took one and popped it into his mouth, feeling the exhilarating burst of energy he always got after taking one. Though his head was pounding so much he could hardly see straight, and his stomach felt slightly queasy, he now had the energy to deal with it. Briefly he wondered if he should take the rest with him, but he decided against it. What if everyone really did need the beans and didn't have them because he took them? He'd never forgive himself.

Putting the sensu beans back where he found them, Trunks rose and walked out of the bedroom, starting toward the other end of the hallway where his room was. However, before he had to stop before he could get very far. Trunks felt sickeningly light headed all of a sudden, and he stopped to clutch the wall for support, dizziness overwhelming him as he fought back the vicious waves of nausea. A battle he would lose, Trunks soon realized. _Oh Kami, I think I'm gonna throw up…. _He bolted down the rest of the hallway as fast as his wobbly legs would carry him, sprinting through the bathroom door just in time to throw himself down on the toilet seat and start to retch uncontrollably. For what seemed like an eternity afterward, Trunks stayed down on the floor, shaking violently, and trying to make sure nothing else was going to come up. _Ugh… I think my stomach must be in there somewhere…_Trunks thought gloomily. _The sooner I find myself a hideout the better._ He could just go to a doctor in another town first, but that probably wouldn't be wise. Incase the Z fighters happened to figure out he'd run away sooner than planned, he had to have the place ready to go back to. He could wait until he found a sufficiently safe place to go back to. At least, he hoped he could…

Wiping those thought out of his mind, he pushed himself off the cold tile floor, turning on the water immediately to splash some of it on his face. When he looked up at himself, he almost passed out. _Dear Kami, I look like hell…. _His face was beat red, all except for a small area around his mouth, which was oddly pale. How one could be flushed and pale at the same time Trunks didn't know, and wasn't sure he wanted to know either. Lifting his shirt up, he discovered some little red bumps covering his upper torso, and a small portion of his neck. They didn't itch or anything, but still, it was strange. If he'd looked like this earlier, no wonder Vegeta had told him to get out of his sight. Taking all these weird symptoms in, he decided he really should get a move on right now while he was still alive to complete his task. Surely the doctors could give him some medicine that would easily clear it up, right? No reason to make a big deal out of it. Freaking out wouldn't get the job done.

He walked out of the bathroom and into his room, cursing when he realized he'd left all his capsules at the campsite. Along with his bottle of Tylenol. _Damn it all. _He'd have to get into his mother's substantial stash. Going back into his parent's bedroom, he went into the area where she kept the safe and put the combination in. He'd figured it out easily years ago. Honestly, who actually used their own birth date as a combination number anymore? Trunks chuckled at the thought. Opening the safe, he found what he was looking for. All of the latest and best capsule technology was packed into the safe, along with a brand new custom ship that Bulma had designed specifically for herself. This sparked a new idea in Trunks's devious mind, and he grinned, pleased with what he'd just thought of. If he took this, she'd notice for sure, and eventually they'd know he'd taken it. _That way they'll think I'll be flying in it so I don't have to use my ki, and they'll search the skies first instead of the ground. Which is where I'll be. Walking the old fashioned way. _Trunks couldn't believe his luck! It was almost too perfect.

He grabbed the ship's capsule along with all the others that would come in handy, including tents and capsules that contained food and water. He would have everything he needed. He quickly dashed into his mother's bathroom and took her bottle of medicine since he'd left his behind. It might keep his fever at bay until he got proper treatment.

After Trunks had collected all the other things he would need, he put it all into a backpack and slung it on his back. Almost as an afterthought he dashed into the kitchen to grab one of those disgusting energy bars he loathed with a passion, grimacing as he crammed it into his mouth. Maybe it would revive him a little.

After walking out the front door, he slipped the note he'd written into the bulging mailbox, knowing that even if she took it all out of there, she wouldn't check it until she saw her nosy husband leafing through it. Or when the stack got so high it spilled off of the counter. Or when hell froze over, etc., etc. She was forgetful when it came to that kind of thing. Trunks smiled fondly, despite his growing unease. Not giving himself time to change his mind, he strode on down the pathway, head held high. _I'm not coming back until I get you to see._

_I'll make you love me._

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Vegeta scowled at himself yet again on his way home from the training site, two days sooner than planned, despite his best efforts to forget about the boy. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He'd closely followed Trunks's ki to be sure he got home, but still, no one would have been there. _Bulma has probably already come home and taken care of it by now. _Why then_, _did he have this sick feeling in his gut? A Saiyan's instinct about his children or comrades was rarely wrong, and for him, it had always been right. Surely if his son's life was threatened someone would have come to tell him by now. He simply couldn't resist going to at least see if everything was all right, though. He silently cursed his own weak attachment to the child. No good would come of it, for himself or his son. Kami only knew that Vegeta had learned that first hand. _Damn you Frieza…I hope you're thoroughly enjoying yourself in the hellfire's of HFIL. _Cursing under his breath, he dropped the subject and filed it away for future self-analysis, at the same time knowing damn well that he was never going to do any such thing.

Passing over many of the buildings in West City, he quickly descending when Capsule Corp. came into view and walked in the door, which was unlocked. Bulma came out of the kitchen to greet him; apparently, she had heard his entrance. Brushing stray strands of hair from her face, she looked at him, surprised. She hadn't been expecting him back for days. Despite that, she went up to him and kissed him on the cheek before speaking.

"Vegeta? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be gone for another few days." She looked around, suddenly realizing someone was missing. "Where's Trunks?"

Vegeta's heart tightened in his chest. He didn't like the sound of that. Not at all. "What do you mean where's Trunks? Isn't he with you?"

Bulma gave him a puzzled look. "Why would he be with me?"

His mind froze with barely contained fear as he began to suspect what was going on. "You're saying he is not here?"

His wife stared at him as if he had lost his mind, and looked as if she might tell him exactly that in more colorful terms, when a thought occurred to her. "He isn't with you?" she said, looking a little frightened for the first time.

The Saiyan prince sighed in exasperation, incredibly angry and worried at the same time. He was about to reluctantly tell his woman about what had occurred between them when he spotted an unopened stack of mail that sat on the coffee table, with a conspicuous piece of paper sticking out from in between a couple of envelopes. He didn't often pay much attention to the way humans chose to communicate, but even he could tell it didn't belong. Walking right past a dazed looking Bulma, he picked up the stack of mail and yanked the piece of folded notebook paper out of the midst of the envelopes, dropping the rest on the floor as he began to read.

_Dear Whoever,_

_Most likely Mom or Dad, but whatever…If you're reading this, you've probably figured out what I've done, or you're searching for clues. Makes no difference to me. Anyway, I've decided to go away for awhile. I don't know where, or for how long but I need to seriously rethink my life. I'm nowhere near what I was expected to become, so until I can be what you want me to be, I need to stay away. Don't try to find me, because even if you do, you'll never figure out where I've gone. Maybe someday I can live up to everything you want me to be, but that time is not now. Until then, farewell mother, and especially you, father. You're my hero, even now. I hope you have a great life without me. I know it's what you've always wanted. Maybe I'm finally being useful to you by permanently staying out of your way._

_Your son,_

_Trunks_

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Hello, all! There is a specific sickness that Trunks has…. See if you can guess, and maybe I'll give you a hint! Mwahahahaha!! Sorry…. Maniacal laughter has always cracked me up.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors Note: **_Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. I'm glad you guys are enjoying reading it as much a I'm enjoying writing it :)

**Chapter 3**

Vegeta read the note for the third time, eyes frantically scanning the page as he tried to digest this horrible new revelation. Had he read this right? Surely he'd read something wrong. Nope; it said exactly what it had the first time he'd read it. He roared and threw the damn thing a far as it would go as Bulma whimpered, mumbling unintelligible words between her tears. Things like this shouldn't happen to him, the prince of all Saiyans. Yeah, sure, so his life was entirely made up of things that shouldn't happen, but this was the icing on the fucking cake, even by his cynical standards. _Damn it all…I suppose I finally drove him away. _Try as he might he could not be nonchalant about this nightmare, nor could he still the fists trembling at his sides.

Bulma looked up at him with terror in her red rimmed eyes, tears steadily streaming down her cheeks. "Vegeta, I don't understand this. M-My baby…why would he do this?" she asked him in a shaking voice. Vegeta looked away, scowling at a spot on the wall that he wasn't really seeing.

"You know something don't you?! Tell me, Vegeta! Why?!" his wife howled at the Saiyan in a desperate voice, needing to understand.

He stayed silent for a long time, and just as she was beginning to ask again in a more forceful tone, he spoke in a detached voice. "We had an argument of sorts. I was taunting him, and I went too far." He paused, not sure whether or not he should tell her what he observed in their son as they trained. He didn't want her to keel over from the shock of knowing Trunks was not only missing, but sick as well.

"What else?" So she could tell there was more. The woman could read him far better than he cared to admit. Still, he braced himself for a moment before he spoke, taking her by the hand and gently nudging her down into a chair, next sitting in the one beside her. Vegeta attempted to cut off all emotion from his voice, not completely succeeding as he started in a melancholy tone.

"Ever since we arrived at the training site, I'd noticed something odd about his behavior. He seemed not to be able to concentrate quite as much as normal, and when we were about to begin a sparring match, he transformed into a Super Saiyan and I could clearly see something wrong. His breathing was labored, and his face was quite flushed. He seemed tired." There was no need to say anything more. Bulma's eyes widened in horror as she saw what he meant, and fresh tears sprang into them and spilled down her cheeks.

"No…no! Vegeta, you know what happens when he gets sick like that without taking care of it!" she shouted in terror.

"I know, I know, shut up and let me think!" Vegeta yelled, shooting up from the chair and pacing the room in frustration.

Bulma stepped into the path he was repeatedly stomping and glared at him with an intensity that rivaled his own. Vegeta could see the fury clearly etched into her features."What the hell did you say to him? What did you do to make him run!?" He didn't answer. "Damn you Vegeta, what did you do!? Don't you have any feelings at all!?" she shrieked at her husband, small fists clenched at her sides so hard Vegeta thought her nails must have dug into her palms.

There were a multitude of emotions he could have conveyed to her, so many things he felt all at once he could never hope to identify them all. Instead he chose the one he knew just how to handle. "What the hell does it matter, foolish woman? I'd love too stay and chat, but I have a son to find!" Same haughty tone as always; Vegeta was silently glad he was capable of that as he headed for the door.

"Wait a second, Vegeta. You can't do this on your own." He shot her a fierce glare, but she continued, undeterred. " You don't even know where he went! Let me call Goku and the others. I know they'd be happy to help." She made her way to the phone and picked it up, but he headed back toward her. He'd be damned if he had to rely on that clown's help again. Granted, he'd become somewhat more tolerable since the defeat of Majin Buu, but he still annoyed the holy living crap out of him. He'd handle this on his own. Before he could voice his protests, Bulma's face lit up with excitement as she apparently had another thought.

"Goten! If Trunks told anyone where he was going it would definitely be him!" she said, in a voice full of relief.

Vegeta snorted in amusement. "Oh, please. Everyone knows that child couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it. Trunks would never be stupid enough to tell him, no matter how close they are."

His wife's face fell, hopes crushed with that single statement. "You're right. At least let me call to see if they can help," she said, still trying to be positive, even in light of the situation.

"Absolutely not! I'll get _my _son back here on _my _own!" he stubbornly insisted, yelling to Bulma in a voice that dared her to challenge him.

"You mean like you drove him away? You did a pretty good job of that on your own," she retorted in a cool tone. Her words hit him like a ton of bricks that had been dropped in a load onto his shoulders, and he winced, unable to hide the foolish emotion. Especially because deep down, he knew she was right. _Though I'll take that to the grave with me…_

"If we don't find him, quick, something terrible could happen. Would you sacrifice your own flesh and blood for your stupid pride?" Bulma's eyes bored into him, her face knowing and sure. Once upon a time he probably wouldn't have given a damn who died, relation or not. That person was no longer there. Sometimes Vegeta wished he were. He scowled and looked away, Bulma dialing the numbers into the phone all the while.

He didn't know what she said, didn't even bother to listen to the short exchange between his wife and whoever had answered the phone at the Son house. Vegeta heard the receiver clatter down, and Bulma gazed at him with slight hope in her eyes.

"They'll be here by instant transmission as soon as they're ready. You were right though…Goten has no idea where he is…" Bulma said, not sounding at all surprised. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, looking stressed and troubled. "I'll go get some capsules together for you guys. Who knows how far you'll have to go." With that, she walked up the stairs, leaving the Saiyan prince alone with his thoughts.

_Hmph. It's the boy's own fault for running off like the immature adolescent he is. _Trunks was not your average teenager though, Vegeta knew that. His son had obviously been hurt by his remarks, but he still just didn't seem the type to throw a tantrum and run away for no probable reason. _What the devil is it?_ he thought to himself in aggravation, but the answer eluded him, seeming just out of his reach.

Just then there was a flash of movement in the living room and Vegeta sensed five power levels, all higher than the average human, though a few were far higher than the two others. _Kakarott and the others…_Gritting his teeth, he stalked into the living room, and was greeted by the sight of five of the Z fighters, all standing near the center of the room. To the far left stood the Namek, Piccolo, arms crossed over his chest in a no nonsense sort of manner. Serious as always, though he supposed he could relate to that. Next to him was Gohan, who wore a solemn expression and sorrowful eyes. He'd always been a gentle soul, a trait Vegeta use to find particularly pathetic, though he had no doubt that the young man was the only one in the entire family who actually used his brain. _Can't imagine where it came from. _Standing beside Gohan was the notorious moron himself, Goku. In contrast to his customary cheerfulness, he was looking uncharacteristically serious, a purely Saiyan intensity reflected in his eyes. Following him were Goten and Krillin, also sporting solemn expressions, which was especially unusual for the rambunctious teen.

"We came as soon as we got Piccolo and Krillin, Vegeta. We're here to help in any way we can," Goku said, his voice surprisingly upbeat. _Always trying to find some good when there is none, _Vegeta thought bitterly. He supposed he was just in a bad mood, but optimism really pissed him off. Kakarott was always that way; it should be no surprise to him.

Vegeta nodded and offered an unintelligible grunt, biting his tongue against the insults that naturally sprang to his lips. What could he say? Old habits were hard to break.

Goten stepped forward, face a little sad, yet at the same time, pouty. "I can't believe he finally decided to do something this awesome and he didn't let me in on it!" he shouted.

Gohan glared at his younger brother. "Your best friend is Kami knows where and that's all you can say? Honestly Goten, sometimes I can't believe we're related," he retorted in a condescending tone. Goten stared down at the floor, looking sheepish.

"You're right…of course I'm worried. I guess I just wanted to try to forget…You know?"

Gohan placed his hand on the younger Saiyan's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I know. We'll find him, don't worry." He gave his younger brother a confident smile and Goten returned it, comforted.

"So what do we have to go on?" Piccolo asked, speaking for the first time.

"Yeah. There must be something that will tell us where he went," said Krillin, scratching his head.

"He left this," Vegeta replied, putting the note into Gohan's outstretched hand. He read it aloud to the other Z fighters, and Vegeta grudgingly listened to Trunks's words again, as much as doing so made him want to kill something.

"Oh, man…I'm really sorry my friend. Who knew Trunks would do something like this," Goku placed his hand on the prince's shoulder and stared at him with midnight eyes full of pity, much to Vegeta's dismay. Jerking angrily away, he turned to face him.

"Damn you Kakarott, you can offer to help me but don't ever pity me! Ever, fool! Do you understand?!" he raged, Goku looking on with a knowing smile on his face, as if he weren't surprised by that at all. _Damn it all, why is everyone figuring me out so bloody easily now? And to think, I used to be a complete enigma!_

"I understand. Let's just focus on finding your son for now," Goku replied in a placating tone.

The clown was right, Vegeta had to admit. There wasn't time for foolish quarreling now. "Fine. Gohan, what do you make of this?" If anyone could analyze the damn thing, it was definitely the soon to be scholar.

Gohan looked thoughtful for a moment, eyes scanning the note again before he looked up at Vegeta. "It's odd. It's almost as if he's challenging you, like he wants you to come after him. At the same time, he's doing everything he can to make you feel bad. My guess is, this note's main purpose wasn't really to inform you he'd run away, but to instead serve as one gigantic guilt trip."

"I knew it! That little asshole was baiting me! He outright said I wouldn't be able to find him. He knows damn well that I can't resist such a challenge." But why? It didn't make any sense! Why would he run just to make him fester in worry for awhile, and then dare him to come find him? He always thought the whole purpose of running away was so you _wouldn't _be found. Vegeta really wanted to punch something right about now; he didn't like this at all. Where was the sense to all this? The control he'd always valued above all else? His whole world was crashing down around him, and he was powerless to stop it. It just wasn't right. "Arghhhh!" he roared in frustration, turning around to punch a hole into the wall. Only after the fact, did he realize his mistake.

"Damn it, now I have to fix that!" he screamed in a thundering voice, Z fighters looking on in wide-eyed shock. He hated mundane tasks such as this. There was no way someone of his standing was fixing _anything. _As if hearing Vegeta's thoughts, Bulma chose then to walk into the living room, fully stocked backpacks in tow. Most likely, they contained the capsules and equipment they would need.

"Hey guys. Thanks for the help." She tried to smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"No problem Bulma. We love Trunks too," Goku murmured, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly.

She glanced in her husband's direction, and Vegeta winced as her gaze flickered over the hole in the wall. "You'll have to fix that you know."

"Damn woman, why don't you fix it yourself!" he grumbled, gritting his teeth in irritation, but his heart wasn't in it. The brash rudeness sounded forced, even to his ears. He felt empty. It wasn't the evil empty that had been his whole world for many long years. That, at least, he could have dealt with. This felt worse than the evil abyss ever had.

Bulma gazed at Vegeta with a strange look in her eyes, sorrowful, yet happiness could be seen in them as well. "Well, I would, but I don't think it would be good for the baby." It took him a second to comprehend what she'd just said, and apparently, everyone else was just as slow, mouths dropping open one by one like dominoes as they took in her baffling news.

"I'm pregnant."

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How's that for a cliffhanger? Hehe…I'm so evil…Where has Trunks gone, anyway? Find out next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"P-Pregnant?" Vegeta stuttered, astonished. "Are you sure?"

For a moment the worry left her face, radiant smile lighting up her every feature as she nodded emphatically. "Yes. I took it just now after I'd gotten the capsules together. I bought two so I took them both, just to be sure. Both are positive."

_Pregnant…. _He was going to have another child. He and his wife had briefly talked about having more children, but they hadn't really been trying for one yet. Not on purpose, anyway…One time you fail to pull out, and that was what happened... _How can I care for a baby when my son hates me so much he ran just to get away? _Vegeta gave himself a mental shake_. _This was no time to second guess himself. He couldn't just leave her here alone while she carried his child. He would not give up on Trunks either, but he couldn't be in two places at once. Bulma coming along with them on the search would be out of the question as well. What if they ran into trouble? He wouldn't be able to fight to his full potential if he had her to worry about.

While Vegeta had been absorbed in his thoughts, all of the Z fighters had gathered closer to Bulma, expressing congratulations and laughing joyfully. Even Piccolo wore a smile on his normally neutral face. Finally, Vegeta smiled, allowing himself to forget his worries, if only for a moment. _Another child. Might not be so bad._ He actually might look forward to it if he allowed himself the luxury.

Bulma smiled back at him, relieved that he at least seemed pleased. It never ceased to amaze Vegeta how much faith she put in him. He would do his best to see that it wasn't misplaced. _I need a plan. _If someone had to put the festivities to an end, it might as well be him. He shouted above all the other chattering voices, making sure he'd be heard.

"We need a plan. I can't leave Bulma alone here, and I am certainly not giving up on Trunks. I cannot be in two places at once," he said, ignoring the doe eyed look his wife gave him, seemingly touched by his concern and looking as if she might cry. Women…he'd never understand them.

"Hey! Why don't Piccolo and I stay here and guard Bulma. That way, the rest of you guys could look for Trunks without having to worry," Krillin suggested.

"Great idea Krillin! That should work just fine! What do you think Vegeta?" Goku exclaimed, voice dripping with that endless enthusiasm of his.

_That's actually a good idea. How astounding. _He supposed he should give the little man some credit, after all he'd been through. The man was a weakling, but he was also the most powerful earthling alive, despite being killed and beaten in the worst ways possible. "That's fine. I'm going to trust you two with the protection of my woman. Don't disappoint me. Or you will regret it." He smiled that eerie little smile that had served him well in his days of murder and torture.

Krillin visibly gulped, while Piccolo snorted, looking largely unconcerned. That was all right. The Namek didn't bother him in the least. He knew how to hide his emotions well, and chances were, he was probably terrified as the earthling was. He smirked. _Hehe…I haven't lost it._

Bulma quickly piped in, striving to fill the awkward moment that seemed to last far too long, especially to a nervous looking Krillin. "Well then…on that note…I found some things upstairs that might help you guys out."

"What is it?" Vegeta questioned, hoping for even a small shred of information that could nudge them in the right direction.

"Well, I was getting the capsules you'd need out of the safe, and I noticed several missing. I know the exact number of everything that's in there, and it was short from the last time I counted them. Not only that, but my ship is gone too. You know, the newly customized one."

"Are you sure it was in there?" asked Gohan, intrigued.

"Positive. I think Trunks must have taken it! It's the only rational explanation for all of the missing capsules. How did he figure out my combination though?" she asked, puzzled.

_Please… a complete dimwit could figure out your combination. _Vegeta smirked, and chuckled in amusement. "I expect even the densest of humans do not use their own birth date as a combination." Bulma blushed a deep crimson, glaring daggers at her husband and Goten, who had burst into hysterical laughter.

"Oh, shut up! It was a spur of the moment thing! I didn't think I'd have everyone in this household breaking into my safe!" Bulma shouted above the crowd of laughing Z fighters. Much to Vegeta's amusement, she growled in anger. "Could we get back to the topic please? My baby boy! We need to find him before it's too late!" The reality of the dire situation laid out in front of them snapped them back into reality, and everyone sobered quickly, Krillin being the first to speak up.

"You think maybe he's using it so he doesn't have to use any ki? I haven't sensed his power level anywhere."

"Yeah! That makes perfect sense! Trunks is definitely not stupid, so he would mask his power and stop using his ki," Goku said, seemingly thrilled that they were getting somewhere.

"Maybe…" muttered Gohan. The brat sounded as skeptical as Vegeta felt. It seemed far too obvious to him. This had to be some sort of a ruse.

"If that's the case, we should probably look through the sky for awhile first. We'd probably have a better chance of finding him," Goku stated, relief and hope passing over his features, as he obviously thought the search would be as simple as that. Vegeta wasn't so sure. Trunks was smarter than that. He wouldn't leave behind a trail so clear to see unless he wanted them to follow it. He had to get around somehow, but there were several options open to him. Which had he chosen? His son probably wouldn't waste his time walking, but what else could he do? Even if Trunks could mask his ki while flying, why would he lead them towards the sky if that's where he would be? Besides, there was no telling what condition he was in if he was as sick as Vegeta suspected. Maybe he would go to a doctor somewhere? Perhaps he should have someone look into that. _That fool Yamcha might as well make himself useful eventually._ He was a professional baseball player. He might have some influence.

"Vegeta, maybe this isn't going to be so bad. We can still find him and get him to a hospital." She was gazing at him with so much relief and joy, he could hardly bear to look at her. _It will not be so easy, I'm afraid._ How could he tell her that? She'd probably just get overly hysterical like earthling women often did, and there was no sense in that. _Best not to tell her. She would only complicate things, _he thought, telling himself every step of the way that it certainly wasn't because he _cared. _

"Yes. We'll find him in no time. Kakarott, Goten, I want you two to start flying around and looking for him. Each of you go in a different direction, and make sure you miss absolutely nothing. Gohan and I will be traveling more towards the ground in case he's down there."

"You've got it, Vegeta. We'll find your son. I swear." Goku held out his hand and Vegeta shook it, grudgingly admitting to himself that he was grateful for the help.

"Hold on you guys. I'll come outside with you and show you the new features on the capsules. They can be tricky," Bulma told them, and she followed the two Saiyans out of the living room. Piccolo and Krillin exited the room behind her. As soon as Vegeta heard the door slam shut, he turned to Gohan; the young Saiyan's gaze was focused intently on Vegeta as the prince's black eyes pierced into him.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you? Trunks isn't flying at all," Gohan said, sounding very sure of himself.

_So he has figured that out as well. Good. _"Most likely not. To be safe, it is better to send at least a few of us to search the sky. I couldn't say a word with Bulma standing there anyhow, so we can handle the ground search ourselves."

Gohan nodded, agreeing completely, and understanding as well. He knew that Vegeta did not express his emotions well, and that he cared about his wife. Vegeta could see it in those analytical eyes. _Oh well…no matter_. He'd keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him.

For a moment Gohan hesitated, appearing as if there was something he wanted to say, but he stopped, his expression unsure fo a moment or two. At last, he spoke the words he'd been holding back, though Vegeta couldn't help but think he was still leaving something out. "I think I understand why Trunks did this. It's an odd way to go about it, but brilliant thinking."

"Odd way to go about what? Tell me, for crying out loud! What the hell is he thinking?!" Vegeta uttered in exasperation. He wanted, no, _needed_ to understand what the young Saiyan obviously already did.

"I can't tell you that. Don't you see, Vegeta? Trunks wants you to figure it out for yourself. That's part of his reason for doing this, to make you understand. If I'm right, that is…" he finished, looking pensive.

_Understand what, damn you? Ugh…I don't have time for this!_ "Fine," he barked. "I don't have time for this right now, anyhow. I have to find him."

Gohan nodded his agreement. "You're right. Let's go." Without further delay, they both turned toward the doorway, walking out of the living room and into the yard together. Goku and Goten had gone already, and Bulma stood waiting at the end of the sidewalk for them.

"I'll head east, and you can cover the west. We should probably focus particularly on barren places like caves and forests and such," Gohan said, pausing for the prince's approval.

"That's fine. Contact me in a few hours, or if you discover anything."

"Right. Moving out." Gohan flew up and took off almost faster than the human eye could track, in seconds becoming a gleaming speck in the distance.

Vegeta turned to his spouse, deciding to put another segment of his plan into motion. "I want you to call Yamcha and have him contact all the hospitals and emergency rooms in the area and see if Trunks has been to any of them."

"All right, good idea. I'll do that as soon as you're gone." Her voice was cheerful, but the blue eyes staring into his were uncertain and sad. "You'll find him, won't you Vegeta? You'll bring him back to me?" Vegeta looked into her eyes with conviction, and sought to reassure her in a way that would cheer her up. She was a beautiful creature, after all. Only a fool would deny that.

With the utmost care, he took her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks to rid them of the remaining tears that coated them in long, sorrowful streaks. Even if it made him weak, in this moment, he could hardly bring himself to care. Perhaps he could wipe her pain away, and take it as his own.

Bulma gasped softly; from surprise or pleasure, he could not say. He didn't know if this was doing any good, but he scarcely ever showed her any warmth. Perhaps just this once, she deserved it. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he moved his hand to cup the back of her head, mouth slanting over hers in sultry captivation. His tongue grazed hers and she groaned in pleasure, moving her own to dance gracefully along with his. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Vegeta forced himself to break the connection before he ended up taking her right there on the front lawn. That would certainly make them the gossip of West City. Not that he gave a damn, but the President of Capsule Corp couldn't afford it. Vegeta gazed down at his mate, pleased to see that it had indeed made her forget her troubles for a time.

"I'll find our son. I swear it." With one last look at a star struck Bulma, he shot up into the sky and headed in the opposite direction of Gohan, steely determination burning in his eyes and pain smoldering in his heart. _I swear it._

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_It's just where I remembered it was!_ Trunks thought with triumph. He'd found his safe haven. The hidden cavern lay among the dense foliage of the forest that was located east of West City. Thick vines coated the small entrance of the damp hideout, effectively concealing it's existence. The small opening you entered through was just big enough for a normal sized adult to go in one at a time. He and Goten use to come here all the time when they were small children. They hadn't been here for a long time, and Trunks was surprised and relieved that he was still able to find it.

After he'd left the house, he'd headed immediately east, flying at first to cut his walking time in half, but then he'd descended to the ground and walked through the rugged terrain the old fashioned way. He'd been walking for countless hours and he was exhausted beyond belief; sweat dripped off of him in a steady stream as he stood in front of the cavern, trying to catch his breath.

At least he'd finally made it. Now, considering it wasn't too much of a risk, he could fly out of the forest quickly so no one would spot him, and head for the nearest hospital. He felt so sick, and dizzy he had to give it everything he had just to be able to think straight. The pain in his head was becoming so hard to endure it scared him, and he was beginning to think that he really should have gone to the doctor first. _Not that it matter's now…smooth Trunks, real smooth. _Oh well. It was too late for regrets now. He might as well set everything up in the cave first before he headed out.

Getting down onto his stomach, he dropped into the opening, feet touching the cold, mud-packed floor. It was just as he remembered it. Vines much like those that covered the entrance clung to every surface, while some parts of the ground were covered with moss as well as grass and dried up leaves. Trunks took off his pack and laid a thick blanket on the ground, removing a capsule from the package and throwing it in the same spot as the blanket, where a cot and various other camping equipment appeared. He left his rations and water in the pack, along with more blankets. He had everything he needed...everything but his health.

With trembling hands, Trunks took out his medicine and popped the cap off, grabbing a bottle of water and swallowing four all at once. Kami, he was so tired…. All he wanted to do was curl up on the cold dirt floor and drift away into endless oblivion. _I can't. Have to get to a doctor…. _If he slept now, there was no telling when and if he would wake up again. The prospect of dying in his sleep terrified Trunks more than he had ever thought possible. He couldn't sleep. Not now.

But he was so tired…

Maybe he should just lie down for awhile, rest his eyes for a few minutes. He didn't have to sleep; it would only be a short rest. Trunks slumped down onto the floor and rested his head against the wall, sighing when his forehead touched the stone. It felt nice…so relaxing. His heavy eyelids refused to stay open much longer, and he felt them slowly drifting shut, despite a small part of his mind that screamed to get up. Perhaps the pain would go away, if only he slept…

With sleep everything would go away. With sleep the peace would come.

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Dun, dun, dun! Sorry guys, I know this is the cliffhanger of the century…Hehehe…I just couldn't resist. Don't worry. I'll have another update within a week, maybe sooner. At least I included the make out session :). I've been reading alot of romance novels lately. Anyway,until then, hang in there!

**5/3/10**: Just finished editing this chapter. I'm lazy, or I would have more done by now. Anyway, the kissing scene...urgh, the kissing scene. Why didn't anyone tell me it was that bad? I almost gagged reading it. Terrible purple prose; terrible =p. I fixed it, needless to say. Ick.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was a stormy, gloom filled night. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the wicked black sky as it opened up in a heavy downpour of rain, golf-ball sized pieces of hail mixing in with the water. The icy rain pelted and stung Vegeta's skin, leaving plenty of gruesome bruises he was sure, though he couldn't tell since he could hardly see a few feet in front of him. He'd looked everywhere he could possibly look since this morning, and was still coming up empty in the information department. As were Gohan and the others, who had all called to report in a few hours ago. No sign of his son, who was probably deathly sick at the moment, and trapped wherever the hell he was because of the damn storm. _If he even has shelter_. He thought of Trunks with a father's fear, thought of him shivering and cold, trapped Kami knew where. _Damn it all…_.To top it all off, he was fucking _freezing_ to death in this stupid storm, he had no idea where to turn next, and it was raining harder than he'd ever seen. Fantastic.

He needed to find shelter somewhere so he could think, and converse with the others if he could get reception on his cell phone. Doubtful, but it was worth a try. Vegeta scanned the ground and strained to see something, anything, that would be passable shelter; eventually, after several minutes, he found a cottage out in the middle of the countryside. It appeared abandoned or at least uninhabited so he figured he would be safe there. Swooping down to the door, he tried turning the doorknob, which was surprisingly unlocked. His first stroke of luck all day. He wouldn't have to break down the door after all. Perhaps that was a sign that things were turning up? _Yeah sure…and maybe I am the world's leading optimist…_he thought with cynicism. The Saiyan Prince trudged through the cottage, dripping all over the worn wooden floor. Walking across the room, he flipped the light switch and they flickered on, surprising Vegeta that the electricity still worked.

Just as he was pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, it rang, and Vegeta recognized the number as Gohan's. He flipped up the top and raised it too his ear, hoping that the young man had some kind of useful information for him. Anything was better than nothing. Gohan's voice came through statically, but his words were still understandable. "Vegeta, Trunks has an i-Pod right?" Gohan asked, sounding excited even through the static.

"Yes…why?" he inquired, wondering what hell that had to do with anything. _This had better be good._

"What color is it?" Gohan continued, increasing animation creeping into his voice.

"How the hell should I know what color it is!? I don't know! Blue? Where the hell are you going with this, boy!?" he shouted over the phone, agitated. He did not have time for such foolishness.

"In that case, I think I just found Trunks's i-Pod. Finally, a break!" the young Saiyan said, ecstatic.

"Where?" Vegeta replied, breathless with relief. It wasn't as if they'd actually found _him_ yet but it was the glimmer hope everyone had been waiting for.

"In the forest east of West City. Hold on, I'll raise my power level so you can follow it."

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Vegeta hung up the phone and ran out the door, ascending into the sky and flying faster than he'd ever flown before. _Perhaps I can save my son before it's too late, _he thought, not daring to allow himself to hope too much as of yet. He'd believe it when Trunks was safe in his arms.

After a few minutes of swift travel through the sky, he came to the forest Gohan's energy was coming from. Flying above the deep green trees, he searched for an opening; now that the rain was letting up, he could actually see more than three feet in front of him. Landing on the soggy ground without mishap, he sprinted in the direction of Gohan's power level; before long, he came upon a small clearing where Gohan stood waiting, dripping wet and looking exhausted. Despite his fatigue, his eyes shone bright with excitement and hope.

"Here it is. I found it a few feet from here buried deep into the mud. I almost missed it because of all that rain," he said, holding out the small electronic device for Vegeta to take. The Saiyan Prince grasped the cold metal in his hand, confirming to himself that it did belong to his wayward son. It seemed like wherever Trunks went, so did that stupid i-Pod. Vegeta couldn't even begin to count how many times he'd seen him walking around the house with the buds in his ears, lip syncing whatever tune he happened to be listening to at the time. He silently vowed to get him a new one as soon as possible. He'd probably be lost without it. This useless hunk of metal surely wasn't going to do him any good now that the insides were soaking wet and ruined.

"This is it, all right. Good work. Are there any other clues around here? Anything that might tell us which direction he went in after he passed through here?"

"I found a few partial footprints here," he said, pointing to the ground at his feet. "But it's almost washed away by now. There were probably more, but this is all that's left."

Vegeta bent down to examine the footprints, which were headed in the opposite direction from which he had come. "Let's head that way. We're bound to find something."

"Yeah. There are so many directions he could have gone in. We have to get it right. Trunks doesn't have time for us to be stumbling around here trying to find our way," Gohan replied, with renewed determination.

"I agree. We must move quickly." And so, they stumbled their way through the foliage, feet occasionally sinking into the mud in softer places on the ground. After about an hour of fruitless search, the two Saiyans were certain they had gotten nowhere when they came upon a soggy, mud stained tank top lying submerged in a pool of grimy rainwater. _We are getting somewhere, but it's not nearly enough. _For reasons he couldn't explain, he was filled with an increasing sense of urgency. His instincts kicking in would be his best guess. His head told him that there was no indication Trunks was in trouble at all. Hell, for all he knew Trunks could be sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows, laughing and having a great time. His heart told him different, though he wished he could believe his son was all right. Vegeta and Gohan exchanged a look of silent conviction, urgency biting at both men as the reality of the situation continued to sink in with each passing second.

They walked on in the moist dusk of the night, droplets of rainwater clinging to the vegetation even though it had long since stopped raining. Exhaustion and fatigue was raw in both of them, but they refused to give in to the temptation to rest. There was not time for that. No time for anything.

On and on the forest flew, or so it seemed to Vegeta as he saw tree after tree, shrub after shrub, all looking exactly the same to his watchful eye, which was not helping matters at all. Frustration tightened every muscle in his weary body as he searched on and on, Gohan at his side. Soon however, there was a slight change of scenery as they came upon a part of the forest that was submerged in thick, ropey vines. The ground was pretty much just as grassy and annoying as the rest of the forest, Vegeta mused. At least it wasn't _exactly _the same as the rest of it. _I swear, if I ever see another tree again after this, I'll destroy it on sight. _His attention diverted, Vegeta took no notice of the small opening covered in vines, nor did he until his right leg sunk into it and he stumbled, howling in surprise.

"What the!?" he exclaimed as Gohan caught his arm, narrowly avoiding falling down himself.

"It's a…hidden cave. Do you think…?" He didn't need to finish. Vegeta allowed himself to sink down into the cold, stony cavern, next whipping vines out of his way with angry fists. Turning rapidly in place, he sprinted forward to investigate, stopping short at the next horrific sight he saw a mere few feet away.

Trunks lay against nature's hard wall of stone, moaning softly in a restless slumber he could not hope to wake from. His normally lightly bronzed skin was replaced by an eerie blood red, and beads of sweat stood out upon his forehead, rolling down to soak the torn shirt he wore. His lips were parted, his face, screwed up into an expression of pure agony, one Vegeta had hoped never to see there. Vegeta, unable and unwilling to hold himself back, ran to his son and took him in his arms, placing a shaking hand on his burning brow. Trunks groaned and slumped against him, too sick and weak to see the tears that escaped his father's eyes; to out of touch to feel the gentle kiss he placed upon his forehead. Part of him was horrified that Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, would display such affection in front of people, however he hardly noticed, and, to his shock, he didn't care.

The Prince of all Saiyans howled in despair, anguished cries echoing inside the damp cavern. What did it matter anymore? Where had his pride gotten him? Nowhere; all he ever did was hurt people with it. His name was Vegeta. He walked alone; he cared for no one. Kindness? Compassion? That was for fools! He didn't need it! He didn't need anyone! Hmph...what a farce. What an idiotic joke. Only at the very last second did he realize the truth of his emotions and situations that fell before him. He had always been like that, despite how fiercely he always denied it. It must have been fate's way of slapping him in the face, as if it were some kind of a cruel joke.

This wasn't the first time his children had been hurt by his moronic mistakes. It was happening again, despite the fact that every day, he worked to prevent such things. This couldn't be happening again. Not after the Cell Games…he'd sworn to himself it would never happen again…

A haunting image found its way into his mind, one he'd long since blocked from his memory. Every vivid detail rushed back with sickening clarity, despite his efforts to forget the horrid incident had ever occurred. The scene projected in his mind as if it had happened only yesterday, the still form of a young man clad in Saiyan armor, vomiting his life's blood and lying lifelessly on the dusty ground. _How could I let this happen again…?_ He couldn't bear to watch his son die once more. That couldn't happen. It wouldn't. Not if he could help it. Vegeta had to fix this. He _had _to.

Gohan, who had followed Vegeta in, already had his phone out to dial the number, tears burning in his eyes. "Dad we found him, use your instant transmission and get over here now! Ask questions later, just do it!" Without another word, he hung up. He could feel bad about being so short with him later. Right now there was no time to lose.

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I'm so evil I disgust myself :). I swear I didn't mean to do three cliffhangers in a row, but the temptation was just too great when I saw the opportunity to end this chapter right here. Don't worry my faithful little readers, the next chapter will be up in no time! Thanks for sticking with it! Since this one was so short, I'll update sooner this time!

**5/6/2010: **Yes, yes. I'm a lazy ass. It has been days since I last edited. Just thought I would say I added a bit to the final scene as well as correcting mistakes throughout the chapter. This way, hopefully Vegeta's thoughts and feelings are a bit more clear.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Author's Note:_ **Sorry guys, I meant to have this up sooner, but I had to have my stupid computer fixed. Sorry for the delay!

**Chapter 6**

"Trunks!" Goten screamed in anguish at the sight of his best friend, having just entered, followed by Goku. He started to run forward, only to be stopped by his father's gentle hand on his shoulder, restraining him.

"Give him room, Goten," Goku said solemnly, deeply concerned for the young man and Vegeta, who looked more shaken than Goku had ever seen him. Even when the tyrant Frieza had killed him in cold blood the proud prince hadn't shown this much emotion, and that was saying quite a bit. Tears stained the prince's cheeks and ran down to drip onto the young man they were so sorrowfully shed for as he gazed at his teenaged son, a shocked and pained look on his heartbroken face. Seeming almost in a daze, he slowly looked up, meeting Goku's eyes in a rare, unguarded moment. This was no carefully calculated stare, made to look this way or that. Nor was it the piercing glare he hid behind so often. It was the look of a father, the look of raw terror Goku had felt too many times himself. His heart ached for him…_but no pity. I understand, Vegeta. I've never wanted it either._ _I'll help you in whatever way I can._

Goku stepped forward with the utmost care, as if he were trying not to frighten a wounded animal. Carefully, he placed his hand on Vegeta's shoulder in steadfast companionship. "Come on, my friend. Let's go get him some help, okay? It's not too late." His voice was soft, and yet it was filled with hope. The prince needed that more than anyone right now.

"Yes…of course…" Vegeta murmured, allowing himself to be helped up by the Saiyan who stood beside him. He'd be all right, Goku knew that for certain. He just _had _to be. Vegeta had always bounced back before, and he didn't think it wouldn't be any different now. Goku couldn't picture Vegeta as anything other than a driving force.

Both Saiyans walked quickly toward the two brothers, Goku preparing to use his instant transmission. "I'll take us to the hospital in West City," he said to the group of people before him, telling himself every step of the way that he couldn't show his own sorrow to these broken people he loved so much. They needed him to be strong, not crumble at their feet. They needed a rock, and he wanted to be that for them.

Goten stood beside Gohan, sobbing softly as his gaze swept around the cavern. However, much to Goku's curiosity, his eyes widened abruptly and he froze, seeming every bit like a deer caught in the hypnotic headlights of a car. "T-This is…" he mumbled under his breath, not wanting anyone else to hear his words. At least, that was how it seemed to Goku. He wasn't a naturally suspicious person, but he was no fool either. Goten was hiding something.

"What was that, son?" Goku asked, startling Goten with the question.

His entire body had stiffened, although his face was turned from him now. "Nothing…" he mumbled halfheartedly. Goku and Gohan gave him suspicious sideways glances, but he decided to let it go for now, realizing that there were more important things to deal with at the moment.

Goku stood at the center of the group and placed two fingers on his forehead, preparing to take them to the hospital that would hopefully save Trunks's life. "Grab on to me, everyone. Here we go!" he yelled to his companions, each of them doing as he instructed without question. _Trunks will get better. I know it, _Goku thought to himself with silent conviction. As much as he hated to admit this though, he couldn't hold back the words. _Vegeta may not survive if he doesn't…_

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"The doctor is busy right now, creep. You'll have to wait like everyone else around here," the heavy set nurse at the front desk muttered in a voice filled with attitude, making her seem vastly younger than her twenty something years. Cold black eyes stared at them with scorn, uncaring about the dying teenager who lay trembling in his father's arms.

"I don't fucking care where he is, get him out here to care for my son!" Vegeta screamed, violent rage and aggravation threatening to explode out of him. That damn nurse and her uncaring scowl were really making him want to strangle the life out of her. Couldn't she see that this child was dying right in front of their eyes? Wasn't she watching him struggle for every ragged breath? _Where the hell is that doctor?_ He'd been caring for Trunks and the rest of the Briefs family for years, and he knew their history. Shit, even if he wasn't available, anyone would do. A fear deeper than any he had ever felt gripped him and wouldn't let go no matter how fiercely he tried to shake it off. Vegeta just couldn't toss the horrible feeling of dread aside, and that put him more on edge than ever. The Saiyan Prince wasn't used to this kind of emotion, and he didn't like it one bit.

Just then, a middle-aged doctor strode into the waiting room of the hospital, wearing a rumpled white lab coat, gray slacks, and sturdy black working shoes. A somewhat tall man with a lean frame, he looked much younger than his forty-five years. Jet black hair laced with strands of silver covered his head, and a pair of frameless eyeglasses sat on a thin nose, illuminating a set of blue-green eyes. Running up to the nurse with an angry look on his face, he spoke to her with measured contempt.

"I most certainly am not busy right now, Miss Hudson, I just finished up. Besides, this seems urgent enough that whatever it was, you could have pulled me out of it, unless it was open heart surgery or something of the sort. I do not wish to see such misconduct and cruelty on your part again, is that clear?"

"Y-Yes, of course Dr. Silverman. I apologize…" the young nurse stammered, scurrying away with her head down, although Vegeta seriously doubted her sincerity. She mumbled vengeful sounding words under her breath as she made her way to the stairs.

Doctor Matthew Silverman was already in action, having seen the dire condition Trunks was in. Getting the attention of the hospital staff standing around, he yelled to them in a tone filled with urgency. "Get a stretcher out here! I need an IV set up to get fluids into him, stat!" He turned to Vegeta and spoke in an apologetic, but slightly rushed tone.

"I'm so sorry about that, Mr. Briefs. I won't even ask what happened right now, but I need to figure out what is wrong with your son. I'm assuming you don't know, am I right?"

"Yes," Vegeta said. A stretcher padded with blankets was rolled up next to him and, almost reluctantly, he set his son gently onto it. His body moved almost of its own accord, and before he really knew what was happening, Vegeta reached down and lovingly caressed Trunks's scarlet flushed cheek; he wanted to stare into that face forever, but all he got was a quick glimpse before he was taken away.

Dr. Silverman watched Vegeta with kind, understanding eyes. "I'll take care of him. I have only seen him for a few seconds, but the signs are clear and I believe I am on the right track. Some of the symptoms are quite prominent, even with just a glance. He'll get all the care he needs."

"Good," Vegeta replied in a raspy voice, filled with so much held emotion, he would have winced if he had the energy to care. Nevertheless, he still struggled to keep it hidden behind a neutral mask. It was his nature, and always would be, no matter what state of mind he was in. Even if he was being honest with himself on the inside, no one else was allowed to know it. Before he had time to say or do anything else, the doctor rushed into the examination room where Trunks had been taken, wasting no time.

Vegeta walked over to the far wall and sank into a chair, kneading his temples between his fingers. His grief-soaked mind vaguely registered Gohan taking out his phone to call a number, but he couldn't bring himself to care about or listen to the conversation. Somewhere in his peripheral vision, Goten nervously paced the room, biting his lip and looking guilty, as Goku stared at him with a puzzled expression. It was quite obvious the boy was hiding something. He'd have to question him some other time, when he gave a damn. If he ever did, which wasn't looking likely. Gohan closed his phone and looked at Vegeta, speaking to him in hushed tones.

"I called Bulma for you. She and the others are on their way right now."

"Thank you," Vegeta replied, giving no other response than to stare blankly at the opposite wall across the room. Gohan started, shooting the prince a worried glance, but he paid him no mind. The boy could think whatever he wanted to. It didn't matter if Vegeta was coddled, or if they thought he was going insane. It didn't matter if they shot him expressions filled with kindness, or gentle concern. Nothing mattered except for one thing, and he had screwed that up as hopelessly as he could have possibly managed.

After a few seconds, Gohan hesitantly turned from Vegeta to face Goten; if he'd had the strength to smirk, he would have. Perhaps he'd finally realized that Vegeta was a lost cause.

After a brief nod from his father, he spoke to Goten, startling him so badly he almost tripped over his own feet. He had been still been pacing back and forth, deep in thought.

"Sit down, Goten. We're all tense enough as it is without you making it worse. Unless you have another reason to be nervous?" Gohan asked, making Goten's eyes widen all the more.

"Nope, nothing, all the same worries here," Goten replied, speaking so fast all of his words sounded jumbled together.

"Tell the truth, son. Hasn't anyone ever told you you're a terrible liar?" Goku said to his youngest son, an edge in his tone. Hmm. That was unusual. Maybe this conversation was worth a bit of Vegeta's attention after all.

As if to prove him right, Goten blurted out everything on his mind, tears gathering beneath his eyes.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear it wasn't my fault! If I had known Trunks was gonna go there I definitely would have told you! I thought he forgot about that place a long time ago, we haven't gone there in ages. I mean, we used to go there all the time, especially when Trunks was upset about something Vegeta did, but we were just little kids, and…"

Vegeta had been, if somewhat absently, listening to the conversation, when the teen's words truly absorbed into his mind. His disconnected thoughts took a second to coordinate with what had just happened, but when they did, it snapped him straight to attention, and he saw everything with horrifying clarity. The pieces were beginning to fall into place, and it was only a matter of time before he completed the puzzle. Only problem was, he didn't like the picture that was emerging.

A strange mixture of fury and grief rose up to choke him, clouding his vision as he jumped from the chair. No...no! That wasn't true. It was _his _fault! That idiotic little boy! He cut Goten off before he had the chance to utter another word; he looked terrified, but that didn't matter one bit to Vegeta. In a rush, he pictured himself ringing the boy's scrawny little neck, and the urge to destroy everything around him was almost too much to control. His fists clenched at his sides, muscles trembling as they coiled up; begging him to spring at something, anything. That was his heart's desire, and he was one second away from doing just that.

"You knew about that place? You knew about it and you didn't even mention it?" he screamed in disbelieving outrage.

_How could you do it?_

"I-I thought about it when you guys were talking about where to go, but I didn't think it was where he would be and I didn't wanna look like a complete moron…"

"You could have at least mentioned it, Goten. We would have found him so much sooner!" Goku replied forcefully, anger coloring his tone.

He didn't even bother to listen anymore. Vegeta wouldn't have been surprised in the least if there was steam rushing out of his ears. _Damn you... damn you!_ If his son died, he would murder him, he didn't care what it would take or who he would have to go through. It was taking every bit of restraint he had not to break his neck right then and there.

_Your fault. This is all your fault._

The Saiyan prince clenched his teeth and shook his head, trying his damnedest to rid himself to rid of these ridiculous thoughts; in frustration, he tuned back into the scenes unfolding around him, just in time to watch Goten fall to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

_How could you let him down? _

His power level sky-rocketed before he could stop it; if he hadn't still been restraining himself, he would have transformed into a Super Saiyan. Vegeta ignored Goten, ignored himself, and looked straight at Goku, choking out words through clenched teeth. "Keep that child the hell away from me, Kakarott. I mean it. I'll kill him if I have to look at him another second."

_You disgust me._

Goku nodded, an unreadable expression on his face; Vegeta hardly saw it. The prince's heart had become a chunk of ice, threatening to suffocate him.

_Weak. You're weak._

Goten stood up on shaky legs and kept his head bowed, speaking in a voice filled with self-loathing. "If Trunks dies, you won't have to. I'll do it myself!" With that he ran out of the room, prompting everyone around them to look and see what was going on.

"Goten, wait! Gohan, stay here with Vegeta," Goku said as he turned in a rush, rushing and without another word, he ran out of the room to catch his youngest son.

Gohan watched him go for a split second, but that was all; within a matter of moments, that analytical gaze was fixed straight on Vegeta, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he had to force himself not to look away. "What Goten did was wrong, you have every right to be angry. But are you sure he's the only one your disgust is aimed towards?" he stated, remarkably insightful. Vegeta scowled at him, but looked away. Why did he always have to look at him like that? It made him feel as if he were stripping him down and seeing into his soul. If he had one, that is.

"I'm sorry…maybe I've been overly serious lately. I'm probably just getting old…" Gohan uttered with a sigh. "But seriously, Vegeta. Think about what I said."

Vegeta grunted to show that he'd heard, then decided to pretend the blasted annoyance wasn't there at all, especially since a small part of his mind acknowledged how right he was. He wished he'd turned out to be a dunce like the rest of his insane family.

In a flash, he wondered where Bulma was, surprising himself further by wishing she were there. He had the absurd urge to hold her in his arms this very moment, and never let her go. Vegeta was willing to bet he caused her pain every day of her life, and he couldn't bear to see what he had become. He had let his family down, including his wife; his failure was complete.

Letting out a mournful sigh, he leaned his head back against the wall, hearing Gohan walk up to sit beside him. The exhaustion that he'd ignored until now was finally catching up with him. Vegeta couldn't remember the last time he'd slept. Normally he didn't during training, and this time was no exception.

_True Saiyans do not sleep at times of crisis!_ His father's words rang over and over in his head, taking Vegeta back to a time long buried in his memory. A time he desperately wanted to forget all about. He didn't need this baggage; not in the past, and especially not now. He had enough hatred to compensate for everyone, including the dead. _Fuck you, father, _was his last thought before he drifted into a restless sleep.

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Hey, I finally did one without a cliffhanger! I'm proud of myself! Hehe…I'll update soon, so hang in there!

**5/13/2010: **Urgh. I had to do this one twice, because the first time I tried to save it all, it decided to erase my work instead. Nevertheless, I'm fairly satisfied. I tried to add to Vegeta's inner turmoil quite a bit, and to show his thought processes more.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! I decided to update sooner since this chapter has been done for a few days, and I don't have the heart to keep it from you anymore! It might be a little later next week though, we'll see how it goes.

**Chapter 7**

She stood at the window, dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders as the wind caught it and lifted it, making it billow in the cold breeze. A slim, curvaceous frame clad in brightly colored armor leaned against the windowpane, as if exhausted beyond belief. Sorrowful eyes as black as the night gazed at the starlit sky, eyes so burdened it seemed to take all of her strength just to keep them open.

The two-year-old Saiyan Prince gazed up at his mother, shivering in discomfort and, dare he say it, _fright_. Mother was always upset these days. She looked so sad, especially after she fought with father, which happened all the time. Even plugging his ears and grumbling to himself about how annoying it was didn't help to block out the screams anymore. He always heard everything, but he pretended not to notice. Mother seemed happy when he was happy, and it wasn't hard to pretend. She looked down at him and forced a smile, holding out her arms for him to come to her. Little Vegeta ran to her and she hugged him tight, as if she were afraid to let him go.

After a few long seconds she pulled away and took his face in her hands; her features, soft though they were, taking on an edge of intensity. "Your father has changed, my son. I fear Lord Frieza may have great influence over his actions and cruelty. He is allowing control to slip from his fingers, little by little. You shall be better than that, won't you? Promise me you will never be the way he is, or act the way he acts. Promise that you will bring our people together, not only with violence, but also with kindness and mercy. Do not let that monster win, no matter what happens."

"Okay mom, I promise," Vegeta replied, with sincerity only a child could express. Mother would finally be happy, and maybe he could help his people too. They really didn't like Lord Frieza much, and neither did he. He'd told him so to his face once, but all it did was make the tyrant laugh and earn him a beating from his father. Mother had cried so hard when she'd seen the cuts and bruises, Vegeta had thought she would just curl up and die. That was when the fighting got worse. And since then, it never stopped.

The Queen of all Saiyans hugged him to her once again, stroking his hair and murmuring soft loving words into his ear. If father had witnessed this scene of such profound affection, he probably would have beaten the crap out of them both. Nevertheless, little Vegeta didn't protest. He wasn't here right _now. _A few minutes later, she pulled away and sighed, flicking tears off of her cheeks, but smiling all the while. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that from you, sweetheart. Remember that promise, always."

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Vegeta awoke with a start, Gohan's hand on his shoulder, where he'd been trying to shake him awake. "Sorry, but you looked like you were having a nightmare or something," Gohan said, looking drowsy, as if he'd been asleep himself.

"You could say that," mumbled Vegeta, still dazed from his dream. He hadn't dreamed about his parents for quite a while now, and he wondered why the hell they chose today of all days to creep back into his mind. As if there wasn't enough going on in his life right now. Leave it to his own irritating mind to add some more emotional turmoil to the equation. Thinking about his mother always made him feel guilty. _She would be ashamed of what I am…_the prince thought with bitterness and scorn. Deciding to forget it and reorient himself instead, he turned to Gohan.

"How long have I been asleep? Any news?" he asked.

After glancing at his watch, the young demi-Saiyan answered. "_We've_ been asleep for a couple hours, and there's no word yet about Trunks. I wonder where dad and Goten went...and why isn't Bulma here yet?"

As if on cue, she ran out of the elevator, Krillin and Piccolo sprinting behind her. Vegeta stood up to greet her, and she jumped into his arms, burying her face into his firmly muscled chest. He kissed the top of her head and just held her, waiting until her violent shaking subsided to let go. When he pulled away, her eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with red. No doubt she hadn't slept at all. Despite her exhaustion and fear, she spoke in a fairly steady voice, with a quiver beneath that was almost undetectable. "Trunks?" she asked in a questioning voice, managing to keep from crying.

Vegeta gazed into her face, apprehension evident in his features. "Nothing yet," he uttered in frustration, sighing with regret. Bulma sighed and shook her head in acknowledgment, tears gathered in her eyes once more, but she pushed them back, striving for calm.

"I'm sorry I'm so late, but we ran into a lot of obstacles on our way here, and we stopped for Videl after she called and heard we were coming her way. They're down in the lounge with Goku and Goten. He told us what happened. I know it was wrong, but he didn't mean any harm." Vegeta scowled angrily, opening his mouth to speak, but she didn't give him the chance to utter protests. "Really, Vegeta. Goten loves Trunks, he wouldn't deliberately do him any harm. You must know that…besides, this isn't the time to be worrying about stupid things like that, and who wants to blame who. The only thing that matters is that our baby gets out of this alive…"

Vegeta groaned and growled some more, but he knew he didn't have time to be worrying about Goten, and somewhere inside of himself, he grudgingly admitted that it had never been about him to begin with. He'd merely provided a convenient enough reason for Vegeta to vent. It sure as hell _was _moronic of him not to mention something so important as a forest hideaway, but Trunks wouldn't have gone there in the first place if it hadn't been for Vegeta himself. It wasn't the boy's fault he was a complete idiot, and he did idolize Trunks almost as much as he idolized Gohan. Vegeta knew that Goten wouldn't have done this on purpose. _Whatever…_ He'd just ignore the little moron for now. But if Trunks did die, there would be hell to pay. That was for damn sure.

"Videl's here? Great!" Gohan said joyously, responding to Bulma's statement. The two were still dating, and going strong. There were rumors that they might even get married soon, though they weren't yet engaged.

"She was worried about you, Gohan. She said you sounded so tired and depressed when you called her a few hours ago," Bulma replied, a mischievous smile stretching across her face.

"I certainly was," Videl declared as she came out of nowhere, walking up behind Gohan to slide her arms around him in a tender embrace. Gohan turned and took her in his arms, burying his face in her hair as Bulma giggled and Krillin averted his eyes, with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks. As they pulled apart, they shared a brief, but passionate kiss, not caring who was around to watch the exchange. Videl flashed Gohan a smile that only lovers could share, and Gohan returned it happily.

In the years since Majin Buu's defeat, she'd let her raven black hair grow out, though she now wore it in a sloppy ponytail, as if she had rushed out the door unexpectedly. Her bright blue eyes shone with worry, and she looked upon Vegeta with a sympathetic expression.

"I'm so sorry you're going through this. I can't imagine what it must be like for you. I feel awful, and I'm not even related to him. You're his parents. It must be such a terrible feeling," she uttered, shivering in dread.

"You have no _fucking _clue," Vegeta muttered, making no effort to hide his pain, which inwardly surprised him. He certainly wasn't Mr. Lets-talk-about-our-feelings, and he never had been much for bearing his soul for everyone to see, except if it was to express violent rage or go off on someone. It wasn't as if he was the first to experience drastic change of emotion, but this was just plain ridiculous. He was a Saiyan, for crying out loud! This was a frickin' hospital, not a talk show. _I don't know what the hell's wrong with me, and I'm tired of thinking about it! I am so tired of talking to myself!_ Vegeta thought in irritation. That was occurring far too often as well.

When Videl had entered, she'd brought along Goku, who was pushing a terrified Goten towards Vegeta. Eventually, he stood in front of the prince with his head bowed, until Goku gave him a meaningful nudge, at least. Apparently, he got the hint. He looked straight up into Vegeta's stone cold eyes, flinching at the iciness he felt in that stare. Nevertheless, he didn't shy away, nor did he try to run again.

"I'm sorry Vegeta. I really, really am. I love Trunks…he's like my brother, I would never hurt him on purpose. Please forgive me," he uttered, quiet, but sincere. Vegeta looked down at him, and thought of coming up with some snide remark, but decided it wasn't worth it.

"Fine, whatever. I have more important things to do with my time than murdering you," said Vegeta, causing a smile to broaden on Goten's face. Psh...you'd think the kid had just won five million zenie.

"Thank you so much, you won't regret it, honestly you won't. I promise I'll make it up to Trunks when he gets better!" Goten exclaimed, earning him a few peeved glances from hospital personnel rushing past.

_What enthusiasm. _He envied him in his absolute belief that Trunks would be just fine. Talking as if he could come walking through those doors at any second, planning one of those stupid practical jokes he still loved to do from time to time. Vegeta even missed the way he'd throw some cocky remark his way in an attempt to piss him off. Once he'd thought foolish sentiments like this were purely human emotions, nothing that he could feel. He'd been wrong. Again. To his dismay, being wrong wasn't all that unusual these days.

Krillin stepped hesitantly toward Vegeta. Obviously something was on his mind, and Vegeta was in no mood to deal with it. "Look Vegeta…I uh…I know we've had our differences, but I'm sorry this happened. We all are." He concluded, scratching his head, and looking uncomfortable, but he seemed to mean what he said. Vegeta looked him in the eye and nodded, much to the earthling's surprise. _Whatever. Let the little man make his speech._

Next he turned t Piccolo, anticipating more sympathy, and hearing none of it. "Don't say it! If one more person tells me they're sorry, I'll have to kill them." He knew they meant well, but frankly, he really didn't give a damn at the moment. Shit, when had he _ever _given a damn?

"Wasn't going to. I thought that was kind of implied. Besides, he's a strong kid. He'll be fine," said Piccolo, a confident tilt to his lips. The Saiyan prince raised an eyebrow in surprise. So, he admitted it then.

_But he is strong, isn't he? Of course, he's my son!_ Maybe he would be all right. Until Vegeta killed him himself for running off, that was. There was that issue... Why did he run? The only answer Vegeta could come up with was one he was utterly unwilling to accept.

Just as he was turning to Gohan to force it out of him, Dr. Silverman bustled into the room, taking long strides towards the group of people.

Those who had been sitting stood up expectantly, and gave their full attention to the Doctor, who looked exhausted, black and silver hair in disarray. His face was carefully calm, and his eyes revealed nothing. He didn't look overly stressed or mournful, but it was hard to tell with the passive expression he wore.

Speaking in a steady voice, he directed his attention completely to Vegeta and Bulma.

"Your son is alive, but quite frankly, I have no idea how. His condition was, and is so deteriorated any normal person would be dead right now. Perhaps that is due to his Saiyan heritage?" He asked, pausing to pose the question. In order for him to adequately care for Trunks when he got sick, they had to find a doctor they thought would be trustworthy, and tell him at least minimal knowledge of the Saiyans. It had been Doctor Silverman, at least twelve years ago by now. Vegeta had been against it at first, but the man had proven to be honest and helpful thus far.

...wait. Did he just refer to someone as _honest_ and _helpful? _Something really _must_ be wrong with him.

"We are less susceptible to earth's diseases than humans are," Vegeta informed the doctor, almost as an afterthought. He spoke in a numb monotone, though he was unsurprised by that. Now that he knew his son was alive, he didn't know what to think. Of course, he didn't even know what was wrong yet. He had to know what he was dealing with. It was so frustrating for his son to have an enemy that was not flesh and bone…one Vegeta couldn't protect him from.

There was no need to ask. The doctor went on, satisfied. "Trunks has a sickness you may have heard of, called scarlet fever. It's a disease that was quite common in centuries past. Now, we have better means to treat it, but it can still be deadly if it isn't caught quickly. Obviously, from looking at this situation. Symptoms are quite recognizable if you've dealt with the illness enough. Things such as the flushed face, and pale mouth, bumpy rash on the skin, and severe fever and nausea are characteristic. Sore throats come along with it as well, and his is red and raw. We're running Penicillin through his IV to treat it, along with the normal fluids, double what we normally use. He was very dehydrated; dried out because of the fever, which was made even worse because of his history. His temperature was more severe than is normal to scarlet fever victims. When he was brought in, it soared at one hundred and seven, but we managed to bring it down to one hundred and three. Trunks is in critical condition right now, and he may be contagious for the next couple of days, so we have him up in ICU in his own room."

"Will he live?" Bulma choked, a terrified look in her eyes, as Vegeta gritted his teeth and struggled to keep calm. Dr. Silverman's tired eyes became gentle and kind, and he spoke to them somberly.

"I will not lie to you, I can't be sure. But he's a strong young man, and personally, I believe he will. If I had to give a figure, I'd say about a seventy- percent chance."

Bulma nodded and sank into a chair, perhaps afraid that her legs might give out if she didn't. At this point, however, Matthew Silverman's attempt to be stoic failed, and a depressed look appeared on his face. "One more thing…it won't be easy for you to hear, but you must know. Because of the high fever he had, he may experience some minor brain damage, or memory loss. When he wakes up, he may or may not know who you are. I'm sorry…" he uttered miserably. The tears came for Bulma then, for she was unable to hold them back. Wracking sobs shook her, and she hugged her arms to her chest, devastated.

_Damn it…_. How could this happen? What if his son woke up and was a totally different person? What if he truly didn't remember anything at all? What if he ended up brain damaged, or worse, in a coma? No. Of course that wouldn't happen. Would it?

Bulma had pulled herself together somewhat, and she looked up, desperation in her voice when she spoke. "Can we see him? Let me see him!" cried Bulma. Hmm. On second thought, maybe she hadn't pulled _anything _together; all the same, Vegeta silently agreed. He had to know Trunks was still of this world, _had_ to feel the softness of his flesh and gaze upon the cerulean eyes he'd always loved.

"Once he's out of the danger zone, you can see him. It might be to risky right now, but I'll see what I can do," replied Dr. Silverman, sighing and running his fingers through his tangled hair. Giving one last encouraging smile, he walked wearily out of the room.

They probably had considerable time to wait, so Vegeta coaxed Bulma into lying down on a bench to get some sleep, without much protest. Within seconds she was in a deep sleep, and he draped a blanket over her, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear in a tender gesture rarely seen by him.

In the meantime, they had considerable time to wait, and he didn't feel at all like sleeping. He knew just what he would do. Trunks was sick, and he would be bored when he woke up. He might as well do something nice for him for a change. That was what parents did, wasn't it? He'd try to do this parenting thing right if it killed him, and he knew just where to start.

"Where do I buy an i-Pod?"

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There it is guys, just little old me, adding even more suspense to the equation. At least I didn't do another cliffhanger…. Yet…Mwahahahaha!

Just kidding. Until next time, see ya!

**6/7/10: ***stares* Oh, shut up. I got around to it, didn't I? This one is all edited :D. Hopefully, I'll have the other ones done soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Authors Note:_** Once again, I'm gonna say that I don't own i-pod's, nor do I have any rights what so ever to the Apple Company. Those guys you really don't want to get sued by!

**Chapter 8**

"Welcome! How can I help you today?"

Well wasn't _she _perky. Damn it. He was already regretting this trip.

Vegeta and Goten had just walked into the nearest electronics store, after a half-hour of stumbling around the city searching for it. That was what you got when you relied on Kakarot's youngest dunce for anything, but what was he supposed to do? He certainly didn't frequent places such as these. He didn't know a damn thing about these blasted contraptions, and he didn't care to know. Most of them were for pointless forms of recreation. Goten had offered to come with him to help out, apparently knowing that himself, though Vegeta suspected that he was probably just sucking up to him after their little mishap. Whatever. As long as the boy stayed out of his way and helped him pick out the damn i-pod, he didn't much care what the child's agenda was.

Needless to say, the Saiyan Prince was beyond annoyed at the moment...his patience had been running dry from the moment he'd read Trunks's letter. Finding out that he was in a coma with possible memory loss _might _just have caused him to snap, and the voice of the foolish woman in front of him wasn't helping in the least.

Said foolish woman (the establishment's help, he supposed) was a young woman no more than eighteen, with short blond hair and a smile that was so happy-go-lucky, it nearly caused him physical pain. She stood at a short five feet, with bright, chocolate brown eyes. The name tag on her plain black shirt said, 'Trisha.' Psh. Foolish name for a foolish woman. No. _Girl_. That was better.

"I need an i-pod," barked Vegeta, his tone nothing less than commanding. Perhaps some intimidation was in order. No such luck. The young woman's smile grew even larger, if that was at all possible, and her voice was more cheerful than it had ever been before. Shockingly enough, yes, that was actually possible.

"Okay, um, what kind would you like to check out? We have i-pod nano, i-pod shuffle, i-pod touch…"

What, there was more than one? How the hell was he supposed to know which was which? He just wanted a fuckin' i-pod, that's was all he knew. Oh, this was ridiculous. He was the prince of all Saiyans. He didn't have to stand here and listen to a bunch of nonsense from this ditsy, teen-aged girl! This predicament was humiliating enough without dealing with her crap.

"Damn it, just bring me an i-pod! That's all I want, you foolish girl! An i-pod! Oh, I'm sorry, do you need me to spell it for you? Idiot!" Vegeta screamed at young Trisha, who had been jabbering away about different models. Many surrounding customers glanced his way anxiously. Some even looked disdainful, but that quickly changed. Any and all within eye shot were cowering in fear when he shot them a glare that said, "Say anything and I'll kill you."

Trisha blinked slowly, but the smile didn't fade from her face. Goten, struggling to keep from laughing, took pity on her, and took it upon himself to make Vegeta's, 'inquiry' a bit more clear. "Just bring us some nanos, okay?"

"Okay! Be back in a jiffy!" With that, she skipped off down one of the isles, oblivious to the preteen's hysterical laughter behind her. Vegeta growled in exasperation. He couldn't believe it. This little girl was so stupid, she was completely immune to his intimidation tactics. This had never happened before in his life. Frieza and Cell had almost been a walk in the park compared to this chick. At least they understood blatant maliciousness when they saw it.

"Wow! No one is that cheerful, not even my dad!" Goten choked, sputtering in between bouts of laughter.

Vegeta scowled in disgust. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have to agree with you." Never in a million years had he thought he would meet someone even more annoying than Kakarot, but, well…he'd been (he almost visibly winced at the word) wrong...before. Not that anyone else had to know that, of course.

A few minutes had passed, grating even further on Vegeta's shrinking number of nerves, when she finally returned, and, after dropping the armful of i-pods onto the service desk, waved them over to come have a look at what she'd picked out. Vegeta, with Goten in tow, regretfully trudged toward the grinning girl and braced himself for the agony that was to come. Teenaged girls…If his child was a girl, he'd make sure she was never anything like this little fool, that was for damn sure.

"Let's see what we've got here, alrighty? Awesome!" Trisha merrily shouted to her customers, even though it was painfully unnecessary. They were standing right in front of her. "Let's see here, they vary from two gigabytes, to four, to eight, and there are eight different colors too, isn't that incredible? I just love the way they make all kind of colors of the rainbow like that, like, there are sooo many…"

"Enough!" Vegeta bellowed in aggravation. Didn't this little twit ever shut up? He took a breath, and, shutting all images of murder out of his mind before he acted on them, turned to Goten. Stay on task. Don't smack a bitch. "What did he have before?"

"It was the eight gigs, but instead of blue, let's get him the black one! He's always talking about how much he wishes he had the black one, but when he got the other one last year, blue was all Bulma could find. He'll love that!" Goten replied, enthusiastic. Look, another surprise. He hadn't been expecting _that _one.

Argh. Was it really worth the effort? It would be so much easier just to kill them all and be done with it. The deed could be done in a second, if he so wished. Well, maybe five seconds. There was Goten to account for, after all.

"All right." Vegeta replied instead, scowling into the palm of his hand for a brief few seconds. He doubted Trunks would be happy to see him any time soon though, even if he did come in with this gadget for him. Killing his best friend and destroying his favorite music store wasn't going to look good on his track record. He wasn't so sure he would be able to fix everything this time as it was. They'd had arguments before, but this time, his son had nearly died as a result. No. It would never be all right, but all he could do was try. Giving up wasn't his style, and he had no plans to start now.

"Alrighty then, great choice! I'll just ring this up for you, and you can be on your way to a musical paradise! Okay, then…" She rattled off a price, but he wasn't paying the least bit of attention. He just tossed a wad of bills onto the counter, told her to keep the rest, grabbed the bag, and walked away from the service desk, before he really did decide to act upon his murderous fantasies.

"Goodbye, kind sirs, come back soon! Remember, electronics are your friend!" Trisha shouted at the top of her squeaky voice, Vegeta and Goten cringing at the sound. Oh, he wanted to kill her. He wanted to _kill _her so bad.

"Goten," barked the prince, after they were out of the store, at a distance that better ensured he wouldn't go back to blow it to smithereens. He should at least run it by Trunks, first. _Then _he would smash it into oblivion.

"Yeah?" the boy asked, giving him a look that said he was wondering what he'd done wrong this time. Was Vegeta really that hard to please?

Of course he was. What an idiotic question.

"Remind me never to go back in there again. Ever," uttered the Saiyan Prince, in a miserable voice. Vegeta almost wished he did have it in him to be the ruthless killer he'd once been. He was realizing that teenagers often did that to you.

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Vegeta walked out of the elevator and onto the floor where the intensive care unit was located, immediately spotting Bulma and the others sitting in the waiting area. After giving Goten the key to their house so he could download Trunks's songs onto the i-pod, he'd come straight here. Upon his arrival, his wife looked up and smiled, getting up to run to her husband with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Vegeta, so you did do it!" Bulma cried, crushing him in a tight embrace.

_Huh? _Probably the least eloquent word that had ever crossed his mind, but he was stumped. "What exactly did I do, woman?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"You went out and bought our baby boy a new i-pod, oh that's so sweet! I knew you had it in you. No matter what anyone else said, I knew you loved him." Tears escaped her eyes as she smiled up at him, with unfathomable love.

Sweet? What the hell was that suppose to mean? And what did she mean by, "No matter what anyone else said?" He didn't say it, but he loved that brat more than he'd ever loved anything in the entire universe. Couldn't they see that? He'd trained that boy sometimes until he dropped, made him as strong as he possibly could. Wasn't that enough?

"Don't be stupid! Of course I do! I'm thoroughly prepared to punish anyone who said otherwise!" Vegeta shouted, earning a gasp or two from Videl, who, realizing her error, slapped her hand over her mouth. All of the Z fighters were staring at him in awe, as if he'd just told them where to find a priceless treasure. Much to his irritation, Vegeta felt a light blush rise to his cheeks, as he realized the magnitude of what he'd just said. Sentimental outbursts...how degrading.

Well, the damage was done now. Might as well roll with it.

"What? Is that honestly such a surprise?_!_" he screamed to them, crossing his arms over his chest. _I show my love in other ways. They're just too dense to see that._ Surely Trunks knew it as well.

...Didn't he? Why wouldn't he? He'd told him he was proud of him, surely that could translate into love. But wait…had he ever said the words to the boy? Had he ever really told him? Vegeta briefly closed his eyes, opening them after a mere few seconds, but nevertheless, the Z fighters knew what it took for the prince to do so.

"I have never actually said it out loud…have I?" he muttered, directing his question to Bulma. She just looked at him, sympathy in her gaze, but she said nothing. The silence was all the answer Vegeta needed. Disconnected, almost as if he were an outside observer, he felt his eyes widen slightly at the knowledge, for it had just slapped him over the head like a cold bucket of water. He understood now. He didn't have the slightest clue why he hadn't realized it sooner.

"That's it, isn't it Gohan?" Vegeta murmured softly, his voice a flat monotone. Such miserable words for someone who was supposedly a 'proud' survivor of the Saiyan race.

Gohan sighed mournfully and met Vegeta's eyes, nodding almost imperceptibly. Of course. The boy had known all along. Vegeta hadn't bothered to read the signs as he had, but now he could see them just as clearly.

_Hey dad, come look! I finally did it, the move you showed me. I just executed the most awesome..._

_Quiet, boy. I told you, I'm training alone.  
_

_Oh...okay. I'll just...show you another time then._

He never had. Vegeta couldn't make the time.

_Mind if I ask you something?_

_Can I get five minutes of peace and quiet! What do you want now?_

_I...um, never mind. It doesn't matter anyway._

Vegeta still didn't know what Trunks had wanted. He'd never cared to ask. He'd never cared to think of it. The incident hadn't even crossed his mind again until this moment.

_I really need to talk to you about something..._

_Psh. Go talk to your mother, I have work to do._

Trunks had never tried to approach him for advice again. Vegeta had been just fine with that._  
_

_Damn it all to hell…_he should have known. Especially since he himself had spent his early childhood doing exactly the same thing: trying anything and everything in order to earn the love of his father. It was so ironic, it was almost funny. Vegeta laughed and laughed. Was it maniacal? Lonely? Desperate? Angry? He had no idea. Perhaps it was all of those and more. Earthlings and aliens alike stood scattered around him, staring open-mouthed, no doubt wondering if he'd finally snapped. He knew the drill, by now. All of them were wondering if this life the prince lived had finally become too much for him. Vegeta wondered that himself.

"Vegeta…come on. Sit down, buddy," Goku said as he gently grabbed his shoulder, clearly worried. When he didn't get much protest from the proud Saiyan elite, Goku's expression became even more apprehensive. Vegeta didn't care. Somehow he really couldn't bring himself to waste the energy insulting the other Saiyan, as much as he usually enjoyed it. He couldn't bring himself to care about anything but Trunks. Whenever he closed his eyes and tried to forget about the feelings that swamped him, all he saw was a lavender haired little boy, toddling after him with a smile on his face. Wanting so much to be with him. And time and time again, he saw himself walking away, into his training retreat, without even sparing so much as a second glance for the boy who had changed the course of his entire life. _No wonder he ran away. I'd run from me too. _Those words, the same he use to say to himself all the time, had drastically changed in meaning. What he use to say with pride, he now said in shame.

Goku, who had steered Vegeta into a chair, sat beside him with that same worried expression on his face, and he vaguely registered Bulma coming up in front of him to take one of his hands into her own. Reluctantly, he looked up at the other Saiyan and spoke.

"Don't look at me like that, Kakarot, I'm not insane yet," he muttered in a world weary tone, silently hoping the clown would just shut up and leave him alone. He couldn't deal with him right now.

"Okay, just making sure…" Goku stated, though he didn't sound quite convinced. "Where's Goten?"

"Your brat is at my house putting Trunks's songs onto that i-pod," Vegeta said. He was back to the flat monotone again. Best way to perfect stoicism, was it not?

"I'm gonna go see about an update on Trunks's condition. Hey, maybe we can see him!" Bulma shouted as she clapped her hands together, in a voice that was overly enthusiastic, no doubt trying to seem happier than she really was.

"You will sleep when you get back. It cannot be good for our unborn child for you to be on the go constantly like this," Vegeta replied, in the same dead tone, but nevertheless, she appreciated that he was thinking about her. Where she normally would have argue just for the sake of arguing, she nodded, and walked off toward the nurse's station.

Vegeta watched her go, and for a long time, he found that he couldn't move his eyes from her path How could he hope to raise another child when he had so hopelessly screwed up with his son? That, he could think about another day. Now was not the time he wanted to tackle such an impossible task. Giving up wasn't in his nature, but neither was false hope.

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Hey, I actually finished it on time! A little ahead of time actually. What a surprise. Bet you guys are glad!

**11/30/10:** I have no excuse. I'm a dreadful procrastinator. So much so, I conveniently forgot about finishing the editing on this for five months. Go me =p

_Electronics World? _Really? Oh, God, that's so horribly corny. The more I go through this, the more I find things I wrote that I absolutely hate. *sigh* Oh well. That's why I'm editing it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Darkness. That was all Trunks could see, no matter how he strained his eyes to look further. Cold…why was he so cold? _Where am I?_ Was he anywhere? The emptiness he felt inside was almost more than he could bear. The isolation, too awful to handle. Whatever nightmare this was, he just wanted to wake up…Maybe if he closed his eyes, the loneliness that threatened to drag him under the tides of despair would go away. All of a sudden, a beautiful woman with a mane of dark brown hair and sad black eyes appeared before him. Those deep black eyes only seemed to further cloak the barren void in hopelessness.

"Who…Who are you? Do you know where this is?" Trunks asked, his voice so soft it came out a whisper.

The woman smiled at him, with a tenderness Trunks didn't understand. She was looking at him almost as if she knew him. Looking at him exactly the way his mother often did. _But why?_ "You are at the border of life and death young Trunks…. The very place I myself reside in to help lost souls who come here."

"I…I don't understand. Who are you? How do you know me?" Trunks asked her, confused.

"My name is Anya. This may come as quite a shock to you little one, but I am your grandmother. I have watched you since you were a baby," replied the Saiyan queen.

_G-Grandmother? _His father never really mentioned either of his parents much, if at all. He knew nothing about this woman who claimed to be his grandmother, so how did he know she was telling the truth? Then again, why would she lie? _Wait a minute…if I'm with her, that must mean I'm…!_

Apparently she saw the panic in his eyes, for she crouched down next to him and cupped his cheek in her hand, caressing it in an attempt to comfort him. "Do not fear my darling, you are not dead. You have been close to death…So much so, I wondered if you would survive, but now you are merely unconscious."

"Then why…why am I here? Are you sure I'm not going to die?" Trunks asked, a slight tremble in his voice, despite his efforts to hide it.

"You will not die. That I can safely promise you. I'm afraid your presence here is all my doing…I just wanted to talk for a while…And to help you understand my dear Vegeta more. I apologize if I caused you to be frightened," she uttered, looking so sad and lonely, Trunks' heart broke for her. It had to be terrible being here all by herself all the time.

"No, it's ok. What happened to me…? I can't seem to remember…" he began to say, but trailed off, puzzled. _Wait…Was I in a fight or something? No, that's not it…What is it? Why can't I remember?_

Anya gazed at him with a sympathetic expression. "You became deathly ill with a disease humans call scarlet fever, after having it for quite some time without treatment. As we speak, you are lying in the hospital recovering," she said to the young prince.

Trunks blinked rapidly. That didn't make any sense…Why would he allow himself to get that sick again? After what had happened when he was little, why would he do it again? _Am I really that stupid?_ A sharp pain shot through his skull, and he clutched his head in his hands in agony. _Ahhhh…Kami, what the hell is the matter with me?_ Why couldn't he remember?

The Saiyan queen smiled sadly. "It seems you have lost your memory of what occurred between you and your father."

_Huh?_ Thought Trunks in confusion. "What do you mean? Did something happen? Am I mad at him or something?" he asked.

"You could say that…Think hard Trunks. What happened?" she said, in a calm, steady voice. She honestly seemed to believe he could remember what happened. Trunks wished he could be just as sure.

"I'll try…" he said, apprehensive. _Come on, Trunks think! Ahhh!_ There was that terrible pain again. Man, he really must have been close to death if it hurt this much when he was unconscious. How was it going to feel when he woke up? The young demi Saiyan shuddered at the thought. Another flash of pain came, this time even more intense, and flashes of his memories played before his eyes.

Vegeta stood over him, with an expression sculpted out of stone and cold, cruel, eyes. _You are ill. You will go home and the woman will take you to a physician immediately. Do not come back, and don't argue with me. You're a disgrace to yourself and to me. I don't need you getting in my way. _

_Oh, right…I ran away. Just so he would…_Trunks sighed and shook his head, attempting to rid himself of the tears that suddenly filled his eyes. He remembered his plan alright…but try as he might, he couldn't recall how he'd gone about it, or where he'd gone. It didn't matter. _What a fool I was…To think he could ever love me…_

Anya knelt beside him and wrapped her slender arm around his waist, pulling him to her to embrace him lovingly. Trunks sniffed and reached up to wipe the tears off his face, struggling to stop crying before he completely humiliated himself. To start bawling in the arms of his dead grandmother was _really_ all he needed right now…

"It's alright, you know. Crying is nothing to be ashamed of. That is something Vegeta was never able to learn," Anya murmured to Trunks in a soft comforting tone. "If only I had been there to show him the way…"

"I-If you don't mind my asking…H-How did you die?" Trunks asked, in a voice that shook so much from crying it was difficult to understand.

"I don't mind…You have every right to be curious, young one. That dirty tyrant Frieza killed me," she seethed, anger creeping into her voice for the first time. "According to him, I was too much of a distraction to my king, and especially to my son. From the first moment he laid his eyes on your father, I could tell he wanted to use him. I tried to tell my king, but he was simply too proud to believe that he was no match for Lord Frieza. He thought he could protect Vegeta just fine on his own, despite how I urged his to send our son away…I planned to go against my king, and run somewhere so I could slip my darling little boy from Frieza's traitorous clutch. But alas…I was killed before I had the chance. To cover his own tracks, he framed two of the elite warriors that were assigned to protect me with my murder."

"And King Vegeta believed it?!" he shouted, composure returning to him quickly after hearing the Queen's horrific tale.

"That's what he let everyone think. He did kill the two who were said to have murdered me, however after that, he made sure Vegeta was watched more, as well as Frieza. Even if he did suspect that Frieza was the one who had done it, his hands were tied. It was not the right time for rebellion at that point. He knew he couldn't do a thing," she said, defending the man she loved, despite what she'd been through because of him. Trunks didn't understand it at all. How could she defend someone who didn't do anything about her death? He supposed it had something to do with love. Kami knows he didn't understand that, and he didn't really want to right now… Dealing with family drama was enough to fill his plate.

Anya smiled in understanding. "I know you don't understand…I really don't quite understand it either. I suppose that's what love is. It's not supposed to make sense. You just follow it and hope it shows you the way."

"So love is blind. Gee thanks, I haven't heard that one before," said Trunks, voice dripping with sarcasm.

She laughed in amusement, mood becoming visibly lighter in the process. "You've always been a funny one, dear. So is my son, when he wants to be," she said in response. Her mood shifted, and she sobered, becoming serious quickly. "Trunks, there is something that you don't understand. I know you are frustrated. You want the love that you are entitled to, but what you don't understand, is that he is already giving it to you in his own way."

"Oh, so beating me senseless in every training session and ignoring me all the time is love. Great, I get it now, thanks for the info," Trunks muttered irritably.

"That may be how you see it dearest, but in his mind, he is doing you a favor." At Trunks' look of confusion, she continued, trying to explain it in a way he could understand. "Your father is a proud Saiyan warrior. He was raised to believe that emotions didn't matter. And, in the Saiyan world he lived in, they almost didn't. All Saiyans strove to be the very best they could be by pushing themselves to their very limits, sometimes to the brink of death. Your father, raised as he was, sees any kind of tender emotion as a weakness, and weaknesses, as you obviously know, are to be avoided at all costs. I believe he shows his love for you by making you the strongest you can be. It may come across as cruel, but to him, it is the only thing he has to offer you."

"So you're saying that, when he insults me, and pushes me, he's really saying…He loves me?"

"In a sense, yes. You must understand. After my death, he was punished if he even so much as mentioned anything about love or compassion."

So that was why his dad couldn't express emotion very well. Trunks had figured it had something to do with his childhood, but now he knew for sure. Could all this be true? Had he been misunderstanding his father all along? Was pushing him so hard all the time really Vegeta's own way of saying he loved him? It was almost too good to be true, and he couldn't help but be skeptical.

His grandmother nodded in acceptance, seeing his skepticism. "In time, you will see. But until then, perhaps you need concrete proof of my son's love for you. Very well, I will show you."

"Can you really do that?" Trunks asked. What could she show him?

"You were out of it at the time dear, so of course you didn't see Vegeta's reaction when he found you. You need but look to see. Watch." Anya stepped a few steps forward and waved her hand towards the infinite darkness ahead. At that moment, an image of his father and Gohan walking in a deep forest played before his eyes, near the old cave he and Goten used to hang out in. _Did I go there? _He must have, for Vegeta suddenly slipped into the cave, followed by Gohan, where he saw himself slumped against the stone cave wall.

Vegeta ran to his prone form and took him in his arms, placing a visibly shaking hand on his forehead. Trunks watched as he groaned and slumped against his father, and, mouth hanging open in shock, watched as his father kissed him on the forehead with tears running down his cheeks. The prince of all Saiyans howled in agony and despair, staring off into space as if trying to banish some awful memory.

_No way. I can't believe it, no way!_ He'd never, ever, seen his father cry. Ever. And he'd actually kissed him! Like normal parents did! Normal loving parents showed such affection, not his dad! Trunks was so shocked he didn't know what to do with himself. It was everything he'd ever wanted, but it made him feel so terrible about what he'd done, he could hardly stand to be in his own skin. _The pain I must have put him through in order to make him act like that…And mom. If he was that devastated, what happened to mom?_

Standing in silence, Anya waved her hand once more and the projection disappeared, replacing it with the usual darkness. The Queen of all Saiyans gave a sad little smile, and spoke to Trunks in a soft voice. "I see you are a believer now. Am I correct in assuming that?"

"Uhhh…Uh huh…. Yeah…But I, I don't…" Trunks stopped and laughed at himself, realizing how stupid he must sound. "I don't know what to say. I feel like a total jackass."

Anya smiled and clasped both of his hands in her own. "Now you see. But do not feel too bad about it. Anyone would have made the same mistake. Your father is a very complicated man. And you might want to keep this between the two of us…He would die of shame if he knew you saw that," she said, chuckling to herself.

Trunks responded with a laugh of his own. "You're right. He probably won't even believe me when I tell him I was talking to you."

"Maybe, maybe not. That remains to be seen. Tell him I am proud of him, will you Trunks? Tell him that I could never be ashamed of who he is."

"I will. I promise," said Trunks with honesty.

Anya came forward and hugged him tight, saying a final farewell to her grandson. When she finally pulled away from him, Trunks gazed at her with compassion and worry. "Will you be ok?" He asked.

"I will be fine, dearest. I can always come to visit you and your father if I get too lonesome. Oh and dear, please tell your mother I said congratulations."

"About what?" asked Trunks, puzzled.

The Queen giggled, the sound making her seem young and carefree as she was once upon a time. "You shall see."

"Ok…I'll tell her." He didn't understand, but whatever. His mother probably would.

"Thank you. And remember. I am always with you, darling. You need but talk, and I will always listen." She took his face in her hands and kissed his cheek, but then she was gone, leaving Trunks to spiral through darkness, destination unknown.

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_Oh, Kami, my head is killing me…Damn, where am I?_ Trunks thought. The last thing he could remember, he was talking to his grandmother. Did this mean he was awake in the hospital now? His head was throbbing so badly he wasn't even sure he could open his eyes to see. He thought he heard someone talking, but it was hard to concentrate on what was being said. Nevertheless, he tried, and soon the soft words that were being spoken came into focus.

"…should be waking up any time now," said a voice he recognized, but couldn't quite place. His doctor maybe? _Damn, what was his name again?_ _Ahhh…_Kami, his head hurt…A moan escaped his lips before he could stop it, and Trunks heard someone move closer to him.

"Oh, my poor baby…He's in pain…Dr. Silverman, can't you do anything?" said a voice he recognized as his mother's. A cool hand stroked his forehead repeatedly, and Trunks sighed with relief. It felt so good against his burning head.

"I could give him something to help him sleep better, but if I did that, he really wouldn't be waking up any time soon…His CAT scan came back normal, but still, I'd like to see for sure if there is any brain damage, or memory loss," replied Silverman.

"What if I don't care about that?! Just let him sleep! He needs that a lot more than he needs you probing him with needles and whatever else you human doctors use!" shouted another voice that seemed to be coming from across the room. A voice that could only belong to his dad. _Well it sounds like he's looking out for me. Meaning he loves me…_Still, how could Trunks be sure he could trust him? _What if I didn't remember what happened? _Would he just play along and pretend nothing had gone on at the training site? Trunks hoped not, but then again, you couldn't be too sure…Trunks braced himself for a moment, and forced himself to pry his eyes open. They were so heavy it felt like there were cinder blocks on top of his eyelids, but he did manage to get them open enough to see out of.

At first the light was so bright, he had to blink a few times to clear his vision. When he could see clearly, he saw his mother's face gazing at him in relief and joy, tears filling her cerulean eyes.

"Mom?" he croaked through lips that were so dry, they had cracked and bled.

The tears that had been filling her eyes streamed down her cheeks now, and she leaped forward to hug him tight. "My baby. Oh he remembers me, you remember! My beautiful little boy!" Bulma sobbed as she kissed his cheeks and hugged him, rocking him as if he were a little baby. Vegeta had stepped forward. He now stood just slightly behind Bulma, watching his son. Was that a smile that curved his lips? Was Trunks just imagining the relief that seemed to be written all over the prince's face, or was it really there, unbound? Finally, Bulma pulled away and cradled his face in her hands, kissing each of his cheeks before stepping aside to let the doctor through. Vegeta stepped forward and placed his hand on Trunks' shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Welcome back, my son. It's about damn time you woke up."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Trunks, smiling softly before wincing at the pain it took to stretch his lips into even that small smile.

Dr. Silverman moved to Trunks' side and placed a hand on his shoulder, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Can you tell me your name?" Matthew Silverman asked in a gentle tone.

"Trunks Briefs," he answered, prompting a delighted squeal from his mother.

"Age?" The doctor asked, just as softly as the last time, but more confidence shone in his eyes.

"Fourteen," Trunks replied effortlessly.

"And these people are…?" Asked Dr. Silverman, motioning to Vegeta and Bulma who stood a little to the side.

"My mom and Dad, Vegeta and Bulma," answered Trunks. Trunks watched as Bulma clapped her hands in joy and jumped to crush Vegeta in a tight embrace, and, surprisingly, his father returned it, as much as patting her on the back could be called returning it.

"Now Trunks, this is where it may get hard for you. You've been very sick with something called Scarlet Fever, but by the time it was discovered, you'd already had it for a while. Do you know how you became so sick? Do you have any recollection of what happened?" Dr. Silverman asked in a patient tone, making a point that he wasn't going to rush him.

Trunks made a show of thinking real hard for a while, then, putting on his best puzzled face, said, "Uhhh…Well…I guess I was probably just hiding out in my room, so no one would notice, right? I hate hospitals… I wouldn't have wanted to go to one…Hmm…Yeah that must be it. Goten probably helped! He's always so eager to get into trouble," said Trunks, his mother looking worried, his father wearing an unreadable expression, as usual.

"What? Was it something I said?" Trunks asked, succeeding in sounding like a confused idiot. If he were an actor, he would _so _win an award for this. _Sorry Mom…Dad._ _I have to know I can trust you._

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Sorry, this took a little longer than I planned, but the chapter is a little longer than usual. As for what Trunks is thinking, I could have just spelled it out for you right there, and I kind of did, but I want to see if you guys are paying attention enough to catch it. Besides, it's so much more fun to let you figure it out XD. It's not that hard. Why would Trunks lie about being able to remember?

Also, if you're a true DBZ fan, you should already know this, but in order to avoid any possible questions, I'd better clarify. Nothing about Vegeta's mother, or any of the Saiyans mothers, is ever mentioned, not even vaguely. Therefore, Anya is entirely my creation. Just so you know. I think that's about it. Go ahead and review if you want to, and keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Trunks watched as Bulma crept forward and sat beside him, her face raw with worry. "Honey, you don't remember do you?"

Trunks hung his head and molded his currently innocent expression into a crestfallen one. "No…I'm sorry mom…The last thing I remember is going to bed to get some sleep before dad and I went training. Did we go? I'd hate to have missed it," he said, shutting his eyes and trying to look as pitiful as he possibly could.

"Baby, you ran away, remember? You left a note and everything. You flew off from the training site and after that, we couldn't find you. In the note, it said that you were running because you thought we were ashamed of you. Especially your dad…" Bulma said gently, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes.

"Huh? Wow, why would I do that? I love you and dad. I'm sorry I made you worry, but I just can't…Wait, I do remember something…It was before I woke up…There was a woman. She said she was my grandmother," he said, prompting the prince's head to snap up and look intently at his son.

"Your mom, dad. She told me to tell you she's proud of you, and that she could never be ashamed of who you are," said Trunks watching his fathers face go from shock, to disbelief.

"What did she look like?" Vegeta asked, suspicious.

"She had dark brown hair, black eyes, and she was really nice to me…I thought I was dead at first, but she comforted me, and told me I wasn't…Oh, and she told me to tell you congratulations, mom. Why? She wouldn't say," Trunks asked, as his mother became wide eyed, and Vegeta stared on in renewed shock.

Bulma stood and turned back to Vegeta, whispering to him, though not quietly enough to escape Trunks' sharp Saiyan hearing. "He couldn't possibly know that, it has to be true!" Bulma hissed at her husband, who was still in disbelief.

"How could it be possible, woman?! She's long dead!" Vegeta hissed back at Bulma, who shook her head.

"Don't you believe in the supernatural at all? Maybe she came to him as a ghost or something!" she said to Vegeta, who scowled in disgust.

"Ghosts? Honestly, you earthlings will believe anything!" Vegeta shot back, though he didn't sound like he was convinced.

_I couldn't possibly know what?_ What was going on? "What is it mom? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, genuinely baffled.

"Oh, no honey, you didn't do anything." Bulma said, turning back to him to give him a reassuring smile. "Your grandmother must watch over us alot. She was congratulating me about your new brother or sister. I'm pregnant."

"What?! Really?!" Trunks shouted, sitting up too quickly as he did so. _Oh, crap…_He fell back and groaned softly, clutching his head as he tried to stop the dizziness from plunging him into darkness. All of a sudden he felt like he was going to pass out, and Trunks hated the feeling.

Trunks heard his mother's startled gasp, and vaguely registered someone touch his shoulder gently. He didn't realize it was his father until he heard him speak. "Well, doctor, aren't you going to make yourself useful and do something?" Vegeta uttered harshly.

"He's just tired. He needs his rest," Silverman said, just as Trunks dropped his hands from his face, and struggling to pry his eyes open.

"You just sleep baby, don't worry about anything. It'll come back to you, I'm sure it will. Until then, just take it easy, okay?" Bulma said, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

Kami, he was tired... It was hard to focus on their faces anymore. He could hardly even move his lips enough to speak. "Kay…wish I hadn't missed training…I was waiting to go all year…"

Vegeta gazed at him with an odd expression on his face, one that Trunks couldn't quite place, but for a second he thought his father looked guilty. Then again, maybe it was just his imagination; he could tell he was delirious. What else would you call it when you felt like laughing at things that normally weren't even remotely funny? _Dad, guilty? Hehehehe…Yeah right…_

"We'll go once you're well again," Vegeta said, much to the half lucid demi Saiyan's joy. He really did wish they could've finished out the session…If only this stupid conflict hadn't gotten in the way…His master plan for love was sounding dumber and dumber by the second…Maybe if he hadn't been sick it would've been alright, but of course he just _had_ to go and nearly kill himself in the process.

Bulma kissed him on the cheek and pulled the covers snugly around him. "Sleep honey. You'll feel better after that. I promise." Reluctantly, she left his bedside, and allowed herself to be led out of the room by Dr. Silverman. That was alright…Trunks knew he wasn't much company like this anyway. And he was _so _damn tired…. His heavy eyelids slid shut, and he felt the pull of fatigue drag him through the barrier of unconsciousness. Before he knew what was happening, he was drifting into a blissful sleep.

But just before he lost all touch with the world of the living around him, he could've sworn he heard the words: "Be well, my only son."

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Relieved laughter floated all around Vegeta as he stood outside in the waiting room, Bulma beside him relaying the good news. Joyful tears were shed from shining eyes; hands were shook with fresh enthusiasm, shoulders were punched in gentle congrats. Vegeta stood through it all, outwardly tolerating their celebration, but truly, he was numb. His son would live…Not only that, he had retained most of his memories, and his mind was as sharp as ever. It was more than the prince had ever hoped possible.

However, his own mind was a jumbled, chaotic, mess. What was he to think? Had his mother really come to Trunks, or was that just the boy's delirious imagination at work? If that were the case, how had he known about the pregnancy? The only explanation was that what his son had described had actually happened. _It can't be possible! _Was it possible?

As if that wasn't enough to throw him off balance, he had to deal with Trunks' lost memory. The boy didn't remember anything that had occurred between them at the training site. What was he to do? The cunning thing to do would be not to mention it at all. It was unlikely that Trunks would ever remember it, leaving himself the only one who knew the specifics of what had occurred. What could it hurt to tell a little white lie? He could keep it to himself, and Trunks would be none the wiser.

Or it could screw up their relationship even more.

_Damn it! When have I ever been compelled to be honest!? He'll never know!_ Then again, the doctor had said he might regain his memories in time. If that happened, the Saiyan prince would be in serious shit, and the rift between he and his son would become even worse then it had been before. _Besides, my son nearly died as a result of my mistake._ Was it at all fair to Trunks to deny him what he had sough in the first place? _How is he to know the depth of my affection if lie to him and keep everything to myself? _

But why did Trunks have to know the depth of his affection for crying out loud!? _He should know it with out my saying so! _But how could he? Vegeta had never so much as hinted at using the word love to anyone out loud. Not since his mother had died. Not since his father had crushed every attempt Vegeta had made to earn his love. Not since Frieza had taken everything away from him. Was he himself really repeating the cycle with his own son?

_My father was weak! I am nothing like him!_ Vegeta would prove that he was different from that cowardly fool, even if he had to do something as dreadful as expressing his feelings to accomplish that. Though he certainly wasn't going to get carried away. Just blurt the damn dreaded three words out and be done with it._ I hope Trunks is up for a gigantic dose of truth, because that is exactly what he is going to get!_

"Hello, Earth to Vegeta! Wake up! What the heck are you thinking about, anyway?" Goku shouted, waving his hand in front of the Saiyan's face. Vegeta scowled and slapped it away, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

"What's it to you? I'll think about whatever I want," he said, haughtiness only royals could pull off creeping into his tone.

"He's back!" Goten said, causing the Z fighters to erupt into another fit of laughter.

"Damn right I am," he muttered, prompting a girlish giggle from Bulma.

"Aww, of course you are honey! My fierce Saiyan prince!" she said, which only made everyone laugh even more, and earned her an annoyed glare from her husband. He growled under his breath and, after the laughter died down, turned to Goten.

"Did you get all the songs on that i-pod?" he asked.

"Yup. Got it right here," said Goten, taking it out of his pocket and handing it to Vegeta.

"Good," said Vegeta. Maybe giving this to Trunks would soften him up for what he would have to tell him.

Goku stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in and stretched. "Well, now that we know Trunks is alright, we should probably go home and come back tomorrow to visit. I'm starving!" he said, surprising no one with the last statement.

"Yeah, Kami forbid dad goes a few hours without eating," said Goten, rolling his eyes.

"You guys go on ahead. I'm gonna take Videl home," Gohan said, taking her hand and walking with her towards the elevator. Videl turned her head and looked over her shoulder, waving. "I'll be back tomorrow everyone. If Trunks wakes up before that, tell him I said hi!" With that, the couple stepped into the elevator, doors shutting behind them.

"Bye guys, see you all later! If ChiChi doesn't kill me for not calling…Hehe…" said Goku nervously, as he and Goten found a dark corner where no one could see them, transmitting out of the hospital.

Vegeta turned to Bulma and spoke. "I will take you home, then come back. You shall rest."

"What about you?" she asked, concerned for his welfare.

"I'll shower and change, but I don't need sleep," he said. How could he possibly sleep when a million things at once were running through his head?

"Well, alright…but come back and get me first thing in the morning! I want to be here when my baby wakes up!" Bulma demanded, hands on her still slender hips.

"Very well," said Vegeta, not in the mood to argue with this demand. If it made her happy to think she was in control, whatever…He'd let her think it for a while.

"Well then, see you guys later. 18 is gonna kill me for being gone so long…"said Krillin, scratching his head in nervousness. Shooting a wave to Piccolo, Vegeta, and Bulma, he sprinted towards the stairs, apparently in the mood for a run.

"Later," said Piccolo, walking away, also towards the stairs. A Namek of few words, as always.

"Come on," said Vegeta, walking towards an elevator that wasn't currently in use, Bulma following. Almost shyly, she slipped her hand into his, and for once, he didn't have the heart to pull away. _What the hell? This day is already fucked anyhow._ One more display of tenderness couldn't hurt. It wasn't as if anyone was watching. Besides, he needed the practice if he was actually going to say what he planned to say to his son.

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Done! Took longer than I wanted, because my week was crazy... My computer was out of commission for a few days, and I was busy all weekend too, so I didn't have much time to work on this, but it turned out for the best.

Also, thanks to the new readers and reviewers! You guys are the best!


	11. Chapter 11

**_Authors Note:_** I'm alive! Sorry about the extremely late update, guys, but I've been sick with the stomach flu for the past few days…I even had to go to the hospital for a few hours, so I couldn't work on this for awhile. It's a great finale though, at least in my opinion, so it should be worth your wait.

**Chapter 11**

Trunks woke to sickeningly bright fluorescent lighting, and a splitting headache. Slowly, he blinked, reaching up to rub the sleep out of his eyes and ease the pain of the light shining in his eyes. He'd only been aware of where he was for about a day, and he was already losing his mind. Why was everything so damn white? It made him feel like the walls were closing in.

Licking his lips, he attempted to wet them, but Trunks found that his tongue was as dry as his lips were, and he grimaced in discomfort. Looking around, he spotted a pitcher of water on a small nightstand a few feet away from him. _You'd think the morons would have put that next to my bed, instead of all this stupid equipment, _he thought, rolling his eyes, then flinching in pain when he realized that it made his head pound even more. _Guess I have no choice._

Placing his hands firmly on the mattress, Trunks slowly pushed himself up in bed, careful not to go too fast and risk passing out. After he had maneuvered himself into a sitting position, he peeled the covers off and swung his legs to the floor, hoping they would be strong enough to hold his weight. Pushing off from the bed, he tested himself by putting some of his weight onto his legs, quickly finding that he would need the support of the wall to get over there. How he was going to carry the water and support himself on the wall, he didn't know, but he was already up anyway. He'd figure it out. He'd just stepped over a few cords from the equipment, when he heard the door swing open, and he turned his head to watch Vegeta stride in, who stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his young son creeping along the wall. Anger flared in his granite eyes, softening ever so slightly when he saw what Trunks was trying to do.

"I'll get it. Get back into bed," said Vegeta, walking towards the nightstand. Trunks hesitated for a moment, not use to such thoughtfulness from his father, but he nodded, slowly heading back towards his bed. At the last second, he remembered the cords he'd just stepped over, however it was too late to stop his shuffling feet from tripping on them. Just when he was sure he was going to fall flat on his face, Vegeta was beside him in a flash, taking his elbow and guiding him back to the bed. After Trunks had climbed into bed, and was seated comfortably, Vegeta abruptly turned away and strode over to the nightstand, grabbing the pitcher and pouring a glassful of water. Walking back to Trunks' bedside, he handed him the glass, setting the pitcher on the floor beside his bed.

"Thanks, dad," Trunks said to Vegeta, who gave a choppy nod, and headed toward the door.

"You're skin and bones, boy. You're eating something whether you like it or not," said Vegeta, and with that he strode out the door, apparently headed for the cafeteria, judging by his last statement.

"Umm…Ok," Trunks mumbled to no one. His dad sure was acting weird. Almost nervous, actually, though Trunks really couldn't be sure since he'd never seen his father nervous before. At least, not that he'd ever been able to tell. _Maybe he's thinking about what to do about my lost memory?_ Trunks wondered what Vegeta would decide. He hoped his father would make the right decision. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if Vegeta decided to lie to him.

Trunks guzzled down the glass of water in his hand, pouring himself another one to guzzle it down just as fast. The icy cold water felt so good sliding down his parched throat, he almost didn't care if he choked.

After ten minutes of staring at the ceiling tiles and counting backwards from one thousand, he gave in and sighed with boredom. What the hell was he suppose to do all day? He was tired of sleeping, and no way was he about to read one of those stupid chick magazines he'd found under the bed. Reading the front of one of them had been more than enough, because Trunks most certainly did not want to know ten new ways to please your man in bed. _Ugh…I can't believe people read that crap! _He cringed whenever he saw the latest copy of it on his mother's coffee table. Trunks sighed again, and rested his chin on his hand. Kami, what he would give for his i-pod right about now…The music might make his headache worse, but he didn't care. It was better than just sitting here twiddling his thumbs.

Vegeta walked into the room with a tray full of food, including, to Trunks' delight, two gigantic cinnamon rolls with icing oozing off of them. Along with the cinnamon rolls, there were also donuts, several pieces of toast, an apple, orange juice, and milk. Trunks' mouth watered, and he realized he was hungrier than he'd thought. His father had barely set the tray down when he grabbed a cinnamon roll and ripped a huge chunk of it off with his teeth, cramming it into his mouth. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, looking slightly amused.

"Your mother says they're your favorite," he said, and Trunks nodded in confirmation. After Trunks had polished off the entire tray within a couple of minutes, Vegeta smirked and chuckled slightly. " Kakarott couldn't have done it better himself."

Trunks smiled and blushed. Vegeta stood and reached into his pocket, pulling something out and handing it to him. _An i-pod?_ The prince must have seen his puzzlement, because he explained. "Yours was ruined in a storm. You dropped it as you were running, and it was destroyed. Goten said you'd probably want a black one," Vegeta explained, looking rather awkward, and almost embarrassed. _Wow…I can't believe he did this for me…That's really…nice._

"He was right. Thanks dad!" Trunks said, smiling. Vegeta nodded, and for a moment just stood there, seemingly at a loss for words… Finally, he looked away and coughed, grabbing the tray and walking quickly towards the door. Mumbling something about being back in a few minutes, he left, leaving Trunks to smile in surprise and happiness. Maybe, just maybe, his dad would do the right thing.

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Vegeta strode calmly down the hallway, headed back to Trunks' room at a pace that suggested he was in a hurry, but in fact, he almost wanted to slow down to delay the inevitable conversation. This was it. He only hoped he'd know what to say when he got there, because right now he was at a loss for words. How was one supposed to start such an awkward conversation? _So, Trunks, guess what, I verbally and physically abused you at the training site, isn't that marvelous? Oh yeah, and by the way, I love you._ Ha! He couldn't even picture himself saying those words!

There was no more time to think on it though, because the door to Trunks' room loomed ahead, and before he knew it, he was pushing it open and striding in with purpose in his step, so much so, Trunks stopped lip syncing the lyrics to a song and looked over at him. Pulling the buds out of his ears, he shut off the i-pod and gazed at his father, curiosity reflected in his face. "What is it dad? Is something wrong?"

"We must talk, my son," said Vegeta, walking over to sit on the edge of Trunks' bed. "Some of it may not be…easy…for you to hear."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm stronger than I look," Trunks replied with pride.

Vegeta didn't even bother to hide his smile. "Of course you are. The blood of the prince of all Saiyans flows through your veins!" He allowed himself a moment of pride, but sobered quickly after. "I know you don't remember this, but when we were at the training site, certain…events occurred."

"Like what?"

Vegeta braced himself, and decided to just tell it exactly as it had happened. He'd never been one to mince words, and he wouldn't start now. "While we were training, you asked for a real fight, and I gave it to you, even though I had noticed how your focus was off the whole time we were there. After you transformed into a Super Saiyan, you were breathing heavily, and you looked like you were about to collapse in front of my eyes. I realized there must be something wrong with you, and when you noticed my hesitation, you became angry, and we exchanged quite a few insults back and forth. Finally, I was forced to end it quickly, and I…well… suppose I went to far in what I said to you. I just wanted to get you home and to a doctor. So I sent you home with …Oh, it doesn't matter what I said! The point is, I went too far and instead of staying at home, you ran away, despite the fact that you were ill," Vegeta finished, preparing himself. What would he see when he turned his head to look at his teenaged son? Would there be unshed tears shining in his eyes? Burning hatred smoldering in his heart? Thoughts of whatever he expected to see left him when he turned his head to look at the young prince, _his _young prince.

He was smiling. After the hour and hours Vegeta had spent agonizing over how to make this as painless as possible for both of them, the boy was bloody _smiling._ Obviously he didn't understand what had just been said, or he wouldn't be grinning like an idiot.

"Thank you dad…I'm so glad…" Trunks said, much to Vegeta's astonishment. _Thank you?_ What the hell was he thanking him for?

"Are you sure there isn't any brain damage in that head of yours!?" Vegeta shouted, angry. "Did you hear a word I just said!? What is there to thank me for!?"

The smile on Trunks' face went from glad to sheepish, and he looked his father dead in the face, cerulean eyes gleaming with intensity, despite his embarrassment. "I have a confession to make…I lied to you about my memory. I do remember what happened at the training site. But I had to see…I had to know if I could trust you…"

Vegeta felt his mouth drop open in shock. _I've been had! By my own son!_ This was all a trap! If he'd chosen not to tell Trunks the truth, his son never would've trusted him again. He just couldn't believe he'd been fooled so easily!

"You were testing me!" Vegeta exclaimed, incredulous.

Trunks nodded in what seemed to Vegeta, grim anticipation. No doubt the boy though he was going to beat the hell out of him. Instead, Vegeta reached up to shut his mouth with his hand, and after many long second, molded his lips into a soft smile. "When did you become so cleaver, son?"

Hesitantly, the demi Saiyan looked up, and, apparently after deciding his father wasn't going to hit him, smiled slowly back. "What can I say? It's a gift."

"Why Trunks?! Why did you do it?! There must be another reason why you ran away! I know you wouldn't throw a hissy fit just from that one argument. We've had arguments before, and you just forgot about them. Tell me why!" Vegeta's change of subject was so abrupt, he saw Trunks visibly flinch at the words. He knew the answer to these questions already, but he wanted to hear it from him. He had to.

Trunks looked down at the sheets he was nervously twisting in his hand, and mumbled something that barely qualified as an answer. "I…I just…"

"You, what!? Spit it out!"

"I…I just wanted you to love me…" Trunks choked, fighting back the tears that rimmed his eyes, and threatened to spill down his face. Vegeta could scarcely bare to watch. His neglect of the boy was even worse then he'd though…In order for him to utter those words, it had to be…

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_Flashback_

The corridors of King Vegeta's spaceship echoed with the footfalls of many warriors, adult and child alike. Five year old Prince Vegeta walked beside them all, among the best of the best, and perhaps the worst of the worst, but they were of no consequence to him. He could wipe the floor with any of these fools, elite or not, Vegeta knew that well. Only one person refused to see it. Only one person mattered.

Father always ignored him, except if it was to give him some order, or scold him for,_ un-Saiyan like behavior_. Damn him! _Even Frieza has seen my worth! Why can't father?!_ The young prince's fists clenched at his sides so tightly it was painful. He had to show his father how powerful a King he would be one day! Only then would he be proud of him.

"Well, hello there, my prince. I see you're back from your mission. You should go see your father. He has been expecting you," said the Saiyan elite called Aiden, taking Vegeta's arm and leading him in the right direction.

Vegeta jerked out of the man's grip, and shouted in anger. "Don't touch me, fool! You have no right! I'll go see him whenever I please!"

"But my lord, he needs your report right away!" Aiden said, agitated. This was it! Vegeta knew exactly how he would make his father proud. What better way then to pound this elite's face in?! No child could defeat an elite so easily, but Vegeta could do it, he knew he could. _My power is far above that of this fool's!_

"Die, fool! You should know better than to mess with me!" Vegeta said, shooting multiple ki blasts at Aiden, who tried to dodge them, but with the cramped space of the corridors, and his considerably lower speed, almost every one hit him head on. The other warriors stood around, not sure whether they should make a move against their prince or not. Before any further action could be taken, a bellowing voice spoke out among the crowd.

"That is quite enough!!" King Vegeta screamed in outrage, coming up behind his son and grabbing him roughly by the scruff of the neck. His face held so much rage, Vegeta had to force himself not to look away.

"You there!" King Vegeta said, pointing to a medic. "Take Aiden to the infirmary and mend his wounds. The rest of you, go about your business. Stop gaping like idiots!" Everyone looked away, and went about their business, just as they were told. They feared their King, especially when he was as angry as this. No sane Saiyan wanted to face his wrath. _And then there's me…_Thought Vegeta, with a bit of cynicism.

"You're coming with me, you insolent fool!" shouted King Vegeta, much to the puzzlement of the young prince. Why wasn't his father pleased? Aiden was constantly screwing something up, and angering his father, and, instead of the king having to waste his own time punishing the man, Vegeta had done it for him. What was it going to take to please him!?

King Vegeta stormed into an empty room, throwing him up against the wall and running up to slap him hard across the face. Vegeta watched him with unconcealed shock, staring wide-eyed. "Father…?"

"You little fool! Do you realize what you've done!? Lord Frieza has been watching your progress as it is, and when he hears about this, he'll want you for himself for sure! Especially if that moron Aiden dies. You idiot! After all I've done to divert his attention from you, you go and ruin everything I've worked for! I though you were smarter than that. Why did you do that!?"

"Father I…I just… I wanted you to love me…" Vegeta said, trying desperately not to cry. King Vegeta sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, and when he dropped them he looked wearier than Vegeta had ever seen him look. For a second, he thought the King looked regretful, but then it was gone, leaving him unsure if it was ever there at all. All Vegeta saw now was a placid mask.

"We are Saiyans, Vegeta. Saiyans _do not_ love." And with that, he walked away, stalking out the door without looking back. So time moved on as it always had, people came and went, as life dictates, but no one ever noticed the young Saiyan prince, sobbing in the dark corner until he fell asleep.

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As he gazed at his young son, who fought back tears and turned his head away, it all came rushing back to Vegeta clearer than he' d ever thought possible. How had this happened? He'd become his father without even knowing it. But did that mean that his father had cared about him too…? _Impossible_! He had to be reading too much into this. That wasn't the issue right now, though the King had tried to protect him from Frieza…_Damn it, just drop it! _His son had to know how he really felt about him, before it was too late to reverse the damage he'd done…

Trunks glanced shyly at Vegeta, then jerked his head away. He knew his father loved him, grandmother had shown him that, but that didn't stop the tears from coming, nor did it ease his doubt, no matter how foolish he knew it was. Then a thought occurred to him, and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. "I-If I was a full blood…would you love me then?"

Vegeta leaned forward and gently grabbed his chin, pulling his head around and forcing Trunks to look at him. Tears shined in his cerulean eyes, and when one escaped and slid down his cheek, he started to reach up and brush it off, only to be stopped by Vegeta's gentle hand, reaching up to brush the glimmering droplet off with tenderness he no longer tried to hide.

"With all my heart. As I already do," said Vegeta. Wrapping his arms around his son, he held him as he never had before, held him tight, as if his life depended on it. Trunks rested his head on his father's strong shoulder and sank into his embrace, crying so hard his wracking sobs shook his thin frame. Vegeta just held him, stroking his hair and mentally kicking himself for putting his son through so much. Trunks had wanted this moment so much, he cried when he got it.

For many long minutes, they stayed like that, Trunks sobbing, Vegeta holding him all the while, comforting him, as he never had. Finally, he slowly pulled away, wiping the tears streaks off his young son's face with gentle hands.

"You shouldn't be afraid to cry, you know. I was, and look how I turned out," said Vegeta, a small bitter smile on his face.

"Okay…Thanks dad. I'll remember that," said Trunks, smiling through the remaining tears.

"No, thank you. For helping me see the truth," Vegeta replied. "And I meant what I said about training. We will go again. I'll still win that fight, but at least it'll be a challenge," he finished, smirking.

"Once mom finds out I lied about my memory, I'll be grounded for the rest of my life…. She'll never let me go," Trunks moaned in sorrow.

"Who says she's going to find out? I was just filling you in on some of the things that happened, and you remembered everything on your own," said Vegeta, amused mischief in his eyes.

Trunks laughed, and smiled in delight. "I love you dad."

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There it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! I can't believe it's over…(tear) I want to thank every single person who read this story, readers and reviewers alike, you're all awesome!

Special thanks to Mikila2 and hippiechic, who were never afraid to speak their minds and provide some constructive criticism, though it wasn't really criticism…You know what I mean. Thanks!

Another special thanks to Afiong Bassey and hennahito-ckbc, who have been reading and reviewing since the very beginning. Thanks a lot for sticking with it!

Well, I guess that's it…I'm off to work on several more projects. Watch out for my fics in the future!


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